A Flash of Brilliance
by inphernalmenace
Summary: Lee Young Ho, also known as the professional Starcraft player Flash, wakes up to find himself in the Starcraft universe. It is the eve of the Brood War and the UED Expeditionary Fleet is poised to invade the Koprulu Sector and he is a captain in that fleet. Will he be able to change the future of the Korpulu Sector, or is calamity unavoidable?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Lee Young Ho awoke from a cryohibernation pod. He looked around and found himself in an entirely unfamiliar environment. He was in some kind of a room and he could see that he had just emerged from some strange device, the purpose of which he was unsure of. Upon looking down, he saw that he was wearing some kind of a military uniform. On it there was a badge labeled Captain: Lee Young Ho.

"How strange", he thought to himself. This certainly wasn't his room. When he went to sleep he was Flash, the professional Starcraft player. Now, he appeared to have been forcibly impressed into the military. Was this some strange new policy from South Korea? It really didn't seem like it. If he had been drafted then he would have received a letter and he would have complied. There was no need to go to such lengths to kidnap him in the middle of the night.

Then, Flash heard some crackling and he quickly spotted some speakers on the wall. He decided to pay full attention to this broadcast, as it might shine some light on where he is and why he is here.

 _Attention! Defenders of the United Earth Directorate, this is Admiral DuGalle._

"What the hell?", Flash thought to himself. "The United Earth Directorate? He must be in some strange dream where he woke up in Starcraft somehow. None of this made sense."

 _You were all briefed before we left Earth, so you know that we have come here to conquer this sector in the name of Humanity. Should any of you have second thoughts about performing your assigned duties, be reminded that if we fail in our mission here, not one of us will be going home. We stand or fall together in this forsaken wasteland!_

"Yeah… DuGalle was right", Flash thought. "Not one of them would ever go home, not if things go the way they went in the game. The UED would fall to the combined forces of the Koprulu Sector, and Kerrigan would stand ascendant at the end, having defeated all of her foes. Of course, things just get worse when Starcraft 2 comes around."

 _Serve the Directorate. Serve Humanity. All other priorities are secondary to victory! DuGalle out._

Flash sat down as he began contemplating about his situation. If he was stuck here in this new life, then that would mean he would be dragged into this war. If they lost, then he would be dead and the sector would fall into ruins in the future. He had to change things, otherwise he and countless others would die. He didn't know how he came to be here, but now that he was here, he would do his best.

Now filled with firm resolve, Flash stood up. Yes, he would change the fate of the sector. He would commit all of his effort into this task. The Terrans will rise to supremacy and humans will determine their own fate!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Flash was called to the briefing room to receive his instructions before departing on his mission. He was somewhat nervous, as this would be his first mission. He hoped that he would be able to succeed.

Upon entering the briefing room, he received a transmission from a man who he recognized as Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov. Flash couldn't help but think of the sorrowful fate of this great man. Despite doing all he could to serve the UED, he was abandoned by DuGalle and executed by Duran. Later, he became infested, living a tortured life, forever cast away from humanity.

"Good morning, Captain. I am Vice Admiral Stukov, tactical advisor to Admiral DuGalle. I see you've already reviewed his proclamation. I'm sure it doesn't cover anything you weren't already familiar with. Once you get to know the Admiral, I'm sure you'll find that he's actually quite personable. At any rate, Captain, I do have orders for you. As we are about to begin our invasion of the Dominion, we will need access to their primary datanet and weapons diagnostics. To this end, you are to assault the outlying planet of Braxis, and take control of its capital city of Boralis. You are to deploy your forces within two standard hours. The Admiral expects perfect results, Captain. Stukov out."

After the transmission ended, Flash gathered his composure and prepared to depart. He and the men he was assigned with were gathered together and they got onto a shuttle. Once the time came, the shuttle departed for the surface of Braxis.

Once they arrived on the surface, he ordered his men to begin setting up their base. Unfortunately, their landing area only had minerals and no vespene gas. It seemed that they would have to make do with just the minerals for now until they could find a geyser somewhere.

After gathering some marines, Flash ordered his forces to scout to the north. They found a few enemy marines guarding some missile turrets. Once the Dominion forces in the area were killed, the UED forces secured the area, which contained some minerals. Unfortunately, there was still no vespene gas.

Once his forces were ready, he had them began moving out. Of course, he first built a bunker by his base and staffed it with marines to guard against any enemy attack. As his forces advanced, they encountered scattered groups of Dominion forces. These small groups of marines and firebats were quickly wiped out by Flash's superior army.

Finally, they came upon a Dominion barracks and took it by surprised. The few forces guarding it were unprepared and were easily wiped out. The barracks was destroyed, removing one of the Dominion's outposts in the area. During this time, the Dominion had launched a small attack on his base, but it did minimal damage to the bunker which was soon repaired by a SCV.

The men rested for a while after their attack, but soon they were on the move once more. They soon stumbled upon a base. They were spotted by the defenders, and the UED forces prepared for a fight. However, no fight came. Instead, it seems that these people wanted to negotiate with them.

The leader of this group spoke. "Captain, I am Lieutenant Samir Duran of the Confederate Resistance Forces. I've been monitoring your attack against the Dominion, and I'd like to offer you my services and skills in return for amnesty."

Vice Admiral Stukov, who had been monitoring their mission, responded to Duran through the communicator. "Intriguing. Lieutenant, you have absolutely no ideas as to who we are or what we have come here to do. Why do you wish to side with us?"

"Because my men and I have sworn to fight against the Dominion and its Emperor", Duran responded. "Seeing as how your forces have been laying into this Dominion base, I figured we were on the same side."

Stukov seemed interested. "I see. How exactly do you propose to be of service to us, Lieutenant?"

Duran smiled. "Well, I possess intimate knowledge of the surrounding area. I can show you an alternate route that leads to the rear of the main Dominion base."

Stukov spent a moment in contemplation before responding. "Very well, Lieutenant. Consider yourself and your men the first colonial conscripts of the United Earth Directorate. Captain, see that the Lieutenant is given our full cooperation. We shall see if he's worth the effort."

Flash listened to this conversation with mixed feelings. Duran… It may have been a long time since Flash played the Starcraft: Brood War campaign, but he remembered enough to know that Duran is a traitor. Flash wanted nothing more than to shoot Duran right now.

However, Vice Admiral Stukov had given Flash a direct order to accept Duran's assistance. Flash was still a mere Captain, and this was his first mission. There was no way that he could countermand Stukov's orders. So, he had to accept Duran's assistance for the time being. Besides, Duran had been helpful in the beginning, so it was alright for now.

Duran's base had a vespene geyser, so they were finally able to obtain some vespene gas to supply their forces. Soon, Flash had amassed a sizeable force consisting of many marines backed up with several siege tanks. With these forces, he began his assault toward the Dominion base.

Duran had informed them about a small valley that led to the rear of the Dominion base. This valley was only lightly defended and their forces able to quickly overwhelm the defenders. There were a few bunkers in the way, but a barrage from the siege tanks quickly leveled them.

Eventually, the army reached the back of the Dominion base. The Dominion were caught by surprise by the attack and the back of their base had been poorly defended. Being hit from the back had thrown the Dominion forces into total confusion and the response to the attack had been scattered and disorganized.

The UED forces attacked the Dominion's command center in the capital city of Boralis and destroyed it. With this, the planet's defenses were crippled and the UED's forces were able to begin wiping out the disorganized resistance. Soon, the planet was secured by the UED Expeditionary Force and Braxis became the first UED territory in the Koprulu Sector.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Yesterday's operation went well", Flash thought to himself. The objective had been completed swiftly and efficiently with minimal casualties. All of this was going as he hoped. He would no doubt be recognized for his skill and being able to lead effective operations would allow him to become a valued member of the force. He would have to have a position of influence if he is to be able to effect change on the sector.

At the present moment, he was being called in for another mission briefing. It seemed that things would proceed as expected, as his performance had been satisfactory enough to allow the Admiral to trust him with this next operation.

Finally, the briefing started. Admiral DuGalle was the first to speak.

"Captain, Vice Admiral Stukov has informed me of your flawless sortie upon Braxis. I must commend you for beginning our campaign with such a decisive victory. Our Tac Teams have decrypted the Dominion's datalink and have gained access to Mengsk's most guarded files. However, our work is not yet complete." DuGalle paused for a moment before continuing. "We have ascertained the location of the Dylarian shipyards. These shipyards, serving as a fueling and repair station for the Dominion, house a number of functional Battlecruisers in dry-dock. To assure that our domination of this sector remains uncontested, you are to assault the shipyards and liberate as many of these capital ships as possible."

At this moment, Lieutenant Duran interjected. "Gentlemen, I recommend that you launch this attack using the utmost caution. Dominion Command can typically reinforce its outlying bases within sixteen standard hours. You should expect some sort of reprisal from Emperor Mengsk shortly."

Admiral DuGalle did not appear particularly impressed with Duran however, despite Duran making every effort to be helpful. "Ah, the turncoat", DuGalle addressed Duran dismissively. "I suggest that you pay keen attention to rank when you address the Captain and myself, Lieutenant Duran. Is that understood?"

"Of course, Admiral." Duran then left the room.

During this exchange, Flash couldn't help but find it odd that DuGalle had such hatred for Duran in the beginning, yet he had ended up trusting him in the end.

After Duran's departure, Stukov chuckled. "You're beginning show your age, Gerard. Give the boy some credit. He just tipped us off to a preeminent attack."

"However useful he may prove to be, Alexei, he will always be a traitor in my eyes. And you know that I cannot abide a traitor", DuGalle responded.

"Only too well, Gerard", Stukov answered before turning to face Flash. "Captain, when you are ready, you may commence with the operation. Once you have commandeered the enemy's battlecruisers, be prepared to repel the Dominion reinforcements when they arrive."

It was ironic. Here Stukov was, defending Duran while DuGalle was hostile to him. Stukov thought favorably of Duran, though ultimately DuGalle would be the one supporting Duran and Stukov would die.

Flash was filled with thoughts about the future, about Duran, Stukov, the Zerg. But he put these thoughts out of his mind to focus on his current task. He would need to lead their forces to take over the battlecruisers.

As the dropships began moving into the shipyard, he received a message from Stukov. "Once your forces have landed, Captain, you'll need to escort our pilots to the battlecruisers themselves. They will be able to commandeer the ships and turn them over to our control."

"Understood", Flash replied. This would be a critical mission as the fleet here would be central toward defeating the Dominion. It was a mission involving a few small forces rather than large armies as they had little time and would need to perform a surgical strike to capture the battlecruisers.

The first strike force landed and it consisted of a group of marines backed up with some medics. After landing, they immediately began advancing. Already the defenders were becoming aware of the attack and they needed to finish up quickly before the Dominion fleet arrived. The battlecruisers were in dock and it was their job to seize them.

Each of the docking areas of the battlecruisers were guarded by a bunker. Ordinarily, there would be many casualties from assaulting several bunkers in succession, but fortunately the medics were able to heal up the marines when they got injured. Injured soldiers were rotated back to be healed before being sent back into the fight. Through this, they were able to defeat the first groups of Dominion forces in their path to allow the pilots to enter the battlecruisers.

The second infiltration team consisted of several medics and ghosts. When they advanced, they were soon met with a problem. There was a siege tank on the high ground near their landing zone. Assaulting the tank would be difficult, but fortunately they were able to blind the tank with an optical flare to prevent the tank from seeing them.

The team quickly ran past the tank before the Dominion could call any forces to help spot for the tank. The pilots were able to get through and enter the battlecruisers.

Soon afterwards, Flash was informed that a team had secured the nuclear silos, giving them access to the weapons contained within. The next team, which included ghosts, would be able to make use of these nukes.

The ghosts could cloak, allowing them to slip past enemy lines. However, there was a science vessel ahead, which could detect the ghosts. The science vessel was clearly there to spot for the Dominion forces guarding the area. One of the medics threw an optical flare which caused a malfunction in the science vessel's sensors. Now, a ghost could slip by undetected.

The area was defended by several sets of defenses. These hard points consisted of several bunkers and siege tanks. As news of the UED's attack spread, the defenders had become more prepared and now they have set up a strong defense near these battlecruisers. However, nuclear missiles from the ghosts was able to wipe out these large clusters of units. With the way ahead clear, the pilots were able to swiftly reach the battlecruisers.

When the next infiltration team landed, they were quickly beset upon by a ghost which locked down the two tanks supporting them. Fortunately, a quick reaction allowed the medics to use Restoration to fix the tanks and allow them to repel the attackers. Once they threw back the initial assault, the team began to advance.

A ghost scouting up ahead had spotted a siege tank. The ghost was able to hit it with a lockdown and the rest of their forces swept in to destroy the tank. There were several more siege tanks in the area, but the ghosts were invaluable here, locking down the tanks so the rest of their forces could destroy them.

However, there was one target that couldn't be locked down - a bunker. Fortunately, the siege tanks were able to blast it from afar and destroy it, clearing the way forward. The combination of lockdown and siege tanks quickly cleared out the area, allowing the pilots to seize the battlecruisers.

The seized battlecruisers were quickly brought online and they began gathering with the rest of the UED's fleet. Suddenly, the Adjutant gave a warning. "Captain, we are tracking a large fleet of Dominion ships in you vicinity."

It was the Dominion fleet that had come to defend the Dylarian shipyards.

DuGalle gave his next orders. "Ah, these must be the reinforcements that Lieutenant Duran warned us about. Captain, prepare our newly acquired fleet to battle the intruders."

The fleet arrayed itself in formation and prepared to enter combat. The yamato guns began charging as the Dominion battlecruisers approached.

They were soon hailed by a transmission from the flagship of the Dominion fleet, Norad III. "Well, now. I don't know which militia you all are from, but I advise y'all to back down... NOW! I'm General Edmund Duke of the Dominion armada. And in the name of Emperor Mengsk, I order you to surrender you forces immediately and unconditionally."

Stukov was quick with his response. "Ah, General Duke. I had expected your forces to arrive sooner. You should know that we represent not one of your rag-tag peasant militias, but the combined might of the United Earth Directorate."

Duke seemed flabbergasted. "Earth Directorate? You mean to tell me that you've come all the way out here from Earth?"

"That is correct, General. We're here to take control over this sector and its occupants for the betterment of mankind", Stukov said smugly.

Duke quickly recovered from his shock and shouted, "Over my dead body. I don't care where yer' from, son. No one pushes around the Terran Dominion on my watch! All units, fire at will!"

A wave of yamato gun shots hit the Dominion battlecruisers the moment they came within range. A large portion of the Dominion fleet was wiped out and they were quickly beset upon by the numerically superior UED fleet.

It was clear that General Duke had not expected to meet such strong opposition and they had been unprepared for such a tough fight. Soon, his fleet was in shambles and they were forced to retreat, not before sustaining great losses however.

The battle was won and the UED had managed to seize most of the Dominion's fleet. Soon, they would be able to take the fight directly to the Dominion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Soon after the battle of the Dylarian shipyards, Flash was once more stuck in a meeting regarding their next mission.

The Adjutant presented a report of the current situation. "Captain, the Dominion shipyards have been destroyed, and it seems that General Duke has withdrawn his forces from this quadrant. We have impressed most of the remaining Dylarian defense forces into the fleet and stand ready to move to the next phase of our invasion."

At this point, Stukov interjected with some additional news. "We've just received word from our research team that they've uncovered some kind of hidden weapons relay upon the planet Tarsonis. They report that it's called a Psi Disrupter, and that its purpose is somehow connected with the Zerg."

The UED scientists were still unsure of the purpose of this device, but Duran was able to provide an answer. "Admiral, during the Zerg invasion of these colonies, the Confederacy had manufactured a number of portable machines called Psi Emitters which had the uncanny ability to lure Zerg to their signals. It was rumored that they had created a specialized emitter that could disrupt the Zerg's communications, but Emperor Mengsk was able to never find it. It appears that this Psi Disrupter is the machine he was looking for. I must humbly suggest to you, Admiral, that the Disrupter be destroyed as quickly as possible. If it should fall into the hands of the Dominion we could face some very serious problems."

"Hmm…", DuGalle thought for a moment. "A prudent call, Lieutenant. I am inclined to agree."

At this point, Flash spoke up. He knew that the Psi Disruptor was necessary and needed to be protected in order to defeat the Zerg. "Admiral, I must protest most strongly. We need the Psi Disruptor to defeat the Zerg. Otherwise, we would be overwhelmed by their numbers. Besides, we-"

"Know your place Captain!", DuGalle snapped. "I did not give you permission to speak. I am disappointed to see that you doubt the capabilities of our forces and our ability to complete our mission without the need for such tricks. It seems that I have misjudged your wisdom, Captain."

Flash was shocked by the callous dismissal he received. But before he could think of what to say, Vice Admiral Stukov tried to interrupt.

"But Admiral-" Stukov could barely get out a few words before he was cut off by DuGalle.

"This conversation is over, Alexei", DuGalle said. "Given the true nature of our mission to enslave the Overmind, we could hardly stand to have Mengsk control a device of this magnitude. This Psi Disrupter must be destroyed in order to safeguard our mission. Ensign, set your course for Tarsonis."

It was clear that DuGalle would not listen to what they had to say. So, there was nothing Flash could do other than go along with it. He glumly went to organize the men and prepare for the mission.

When the mission was about to commence, DuGalle gave an unexpected order. "Captain, your insolence has made me leery of assigning you to such an important mission. Perhaps it would be better for someone else to take over. Lieutenant Duran, since you have shown such concern for this device's inherent danger, I charge you with finding the Disrupter and securing it. We will commence with its destruction once we've cleared the area."

Flash was aghast with this new development. Would he really fall out of favor so soon?

However, at this moment, Samir Duran spoke up. "I am honored by your confidence in me, Admiral. I will not let you down. There is no need to be so harsh with the good Captain though. I believe that his tactical skill is invaluable. Please, allow him to advise me."

"Very well then", replied DuGalle. "Captain, you will do all you can to assist Lieutenant Duran with his mission. Perhaps you can prove to us your reliability. Be thankful that you have this chance."

"Yes sir", Flash replied. "I won't let you down."

After DuGalle left, Duran turned to Flash and began speaking with him as though he was a good friend.

"Now, don't be so glum Captain", Duran said. "I am sure this bit of unpleasantness will pass. You will be back in the Admiral's good graces in no time, especially with my help. Come now, we have a mission to complete."

Soon, the dropship was on its way to Tarsonis and they established a base near the Psi Disruptor. However, soon after they arrived, an alert blared out from the adjutant. "Captain, our sensors are tracking Zerg signals in every direction. It appears that our intelligence was correct."

It seemed that the entire area was crawling with Zerg. Trying to fight through all of them would surely be a difficult task. Fortunately, Duran had some insight into how they could fight the Zerg.

"If we focus on destroying all of the hives in this area, we may be able to neutralize these Zerg without too much trouble", Duran suggested. So, they decided to focus their attacks on the Zerg Hives to disrupt their hive mind. This way, it would be much easier to deal with them.

There were zerg coming from all directions, so each entrance to the base had to be well defended. Bunkers were set up near the entrances and there was always a SCV on hand to repair the bunkers. Lieutenant Duran led the men on the front lines and he helped to fight the zerg as well, using his rifle to pick off attacking mutalisks.

After the defenses of the base were secured, they began building up a force to attack the zerg hives. The core of the force consisted of marines backed up with medics. Following them were several siege tanks. During this time, the base was constantly harried by zerg attacks, but the well placed defenses allowed them to repel the zerg. As their forces grew in strength, it became easier to deal with the zerg attacks.

Finally, it was time to move out to assault the closest hive cluster, which was to the east. A large force was sent, though there was still a significant amount of units left back at base to defend against attacks from the other hives. The tanks had positioned themselves on a cliff overlooking the zerg hive. From there, they were able to blast away at the hive. There were several attempts by the zerg to dislodge them, but the entrenched position of the tanks was not easily overrun and the zerg could not force the tanks to retreat. Eventually, the hive fell under the bombardment of the tanks.

After the hive was destroyed, the zerg around it went dormant and stopped attacking them. Seeing this, Duran was pleased. "Just as I thought. This brood can't operate without its primary Hive cluster."

Then, they proceeded to attack the hive to the west of them. This time, the hive was located on an elevated plateau. The tanks positioned themselves on the ground below. Scanner sweeps were used to reveal the area above to allow the tanks to target the hives. Like before, the zerg could not attack the tanks with a conventional ground assault. However, there were swarms of overlords flying overhead and some of them began dropping zerg. The marines fired up at the overlords to try to stop them. Although many of the overlords were killed, some still managed to drop their contents on the ground below. Fortunately, their forces were able to kill those zerg before they could reach the tanks. They were able to hold off the zerg just long enough for the tanks to finish destroying the hive.

Reinforcements came to supplement their forces and then they began to push northwards. They came upon several sunken colonies, so the tanks entered siege mode and began bombarding the sunken colonies. The sunken colonies were destroyed, but soon afterwards they were beset upon by a large group of zerg, including some ultralisks.

The tanks dealt some damage to the attacking zerg forces, but soon several dark swarms covered the area and their forces were forced to retreat out of the dark swarm. Fortunately, there were siege tanks prepared behind the main force, just to cover this eventuality. After leaving the dark swarm, the zerg forces were vulnerable and blasted apart by the tanks as well as the marines who turned around once they were out of the covering fog.

The tanks began pushing forward, slowly but surely as they destroyed the sunken colonies in their path. Meanwhile, their attacking force was constantly being reinforced. Finally, they reached the third hive and destroyed it. The final hive proved to not be much of a challenge. The biggest threat was a group of guardians, which the siege tanks couldn't hit, but the accompanying goliaths were able to take care of them.

Once the hives were destroyed, Duran lead a small force to search for the Psi Disruptor. Finally, the Psi Disruptor was located and Duran was in position.

"Captain, we've located the Psi Disrupter. Shall we plant the explosives on it?", Duran asked. However, he was suddenly interrupted.

A ghost uncloaked. "Lieutenant Duran, we're here to relieve you. We've come with orders from Admiral Stukov himself to facilitate the Disrupter's disassembly."

Duran turned away and spoke to Flash. "Captain, it seems that the mission given to us is being changed. What do you think we should do?"

"What can we do?", Flash said. "Vice Admiral Stukov outranks us. We must follow his orders."

Duran turned to speak to the ghost. "Very well. Take it away. Captain, I'll be returning to the command ship presently."

As they departed from Tarsonis, Flash let out a sigh of relief. Everything was still going the way it should be. As long as the Psi Disruptor wasn't destroyed, they could still use it later. Even though he didn't manage to convince DuGalle of its importance now, he was confident that they will be able to in the future once DuGalle sees the magnitude of the zerg threat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

With the Psi Disruptor mission having gone perfectly, Flash was satisfied with the current situation as the UED fleet arrived over Korhal. He was soon called into a meeting to plan the attack on the Dominion capital.

Upon entering, DuGalle spoke to him. "Captain, your performance in the previous mission was excellent. Your exemplary leadership sets a fine example for the rest of my officers. Vice Admiral Stukov has informed me that the Psi Disrupter has been accounted for, so we can now proceed with the next phase of our operation. The time has come to begin our primary invasion of the Dominion throne world of Korhal, and you will be leading it. Alexei, fill the Captain in on the current situation."

Stukov began with a description of Korhal's history. "As you may know from your research, Captain, Korhal was a hotbed of anti-Confederate sentiment for years. The Confederacy hope to contain Kohral's civil unrest by decimating it and its population with a massive nuclear barrage. Though the radiation levels on the planet are at an all time low, its surface is now nothing more than a smoldering desert."

Duran followed up with an analysis of the situation. "The catch, Admiral, is that because this world has already been devastated by nuclear fire, Mengsk has no compunction against using nukes on us. We have detected a large cluster of missile silos on the outskirts of Augustgrad. If those silos were destroyed, we believe that Mengsk would lose his core nuclear capabilities."

However, the nukes were not the only concern as Stukov soon explained. "We also face a different obstacle, Captain. Intelligence has informed us that Mengsk employs multiple battlecruisers for his planetary defense. It is possible to nullify these battlecruisers by taking out strategic physics labs. Without these labs, Mengsk will be unable to power-up his ships' weapons systems."

"Though we know how to compensate for Mengsk's defenses, we don't have enough time to follow through on them both", DuGalle said before turning to Flash. "Therefore, Captain, you must choose to either counter his nuclear capabilities or his battlecruisers. Once you've taken care of this operation, we can begin to plan our final assault against Augustgrad. Which shall it be?"

Flash thought for a few moments before answering. "Both nuclear missiles and battlecruisers will pose a threat to our forces. However, we shall strike at the physics labs because it will have multiple benefits over destroying the nuke silos. If we take out the physics labs, Mensk will be unable to use his battlecruisers, and after he is defeated we will be able to commandeer them for ourselves. As conquering the Dominion is only the first stage of our plans for the sector, it is important that we have as many forces available to us as possible. If Mengsk was able to use his battlecruisers in the coming battle, we would be forced to destroy them which will prevent us from using them."

DuGalle seemed impressed with this reasoning and nodded.

Flash continued with his second point. "Furthermore, if we destroyed the nuke silos, the nuclear weapons would be destroyed. However, if we left the silos intact, we could take the remainder of the nuclear weapons after we defeat Mengsk and use them for ourselves."

"Wouldn't those nuclear weapons be used by Mengsk, leaving none left?", DuGalle asked.

"Mengsk wouldn't use up all of his nukes immediately, that would be foolhardy. He will definitely leave nukes in reserve", Flash replied. "If we defeat Mengsk quickly in a lightning assault, he won't be able to deploy all of his nukes before he is defeated."

"Very well then Captain", DuGalle replied. "Commence with the operation."

The UED army landed on Korhal. A base was set up near some a cluster of resources and they began preparing for the assault. The target would be the physics labs in the north. While they prepared for the assault, some defenses were set up to stop the Dominion attacks. Bunkers and siege tanks were placed to block the approach of enemy units.

There was another cluster of resources to the west, so some SCVs were sent over to establish a command center and begin mining operations. The Dominion began attacking that base as well, so bunkers and siege tanks were strategically placed to stop the attacks.

Soon, a large force was gathered consisting of marines, goliaths, and siege tanks. When they began advancing to the north, they found that there were several siege tanks sieged up. These tanks would blast apart the army if they tried to assault it from the front. While it would be possible to overwhelm the tanks with numbers, there would be heavy casualties from such an assault.

However, there was a vulnerability which could be exploited. The tanks were on their own, so a few dropships were sent to drop marines right next to the tanks. The siege tanks were unable to fire upon the attackers who had gotten too close for the tanks to target. Although the tanks tried to unsiege, the rest of the army moved in and were able to destroy them before they could escape.

Up ahead was a Dominion base guarded by several bunkers and siege tanks. An assault on the bunkers would take heavy casualties from the siege tanks behind the bunkers. However, because of this placement, the UED forces were able to use their tanks to hit the bunkers without being in range of the enemy tanks. The Dominion was forced to exit the base and attack, but with the UED being in a defensive position, the Dominion forces took heavy losses and were forced to retreat.

With the bunkers destroyed, the marines stormed the base and wiped out the remaining defenders. The Dominion began to launch vicious counterattacks against the UED forces, but the siege tanks were able to hold them off.

The tanks began leapfrogging forward, with tanks in the back covering the ones in the front as they sieged up. Soon, the army reached the outskirts of the main Dominion base. The base was surrounded by walls which had some siege tanks on them.

An assault on one side of the base drew the attention of the defenders and served as a diversion while dropships landed marines on the walls. The marines were able to destroy the siege tanks and take control of the entrance to one side of the base. The UED army advanced into the base and the tanks sieged up.

When the Dominion forces rushed back to repel the assault, they were forced to endure barrages of artillery fire from the siege tanks which decimated their forces. Soon, the base was turned to rubble. The physics labs, which were at the back of the base, were destroyed.

With the mission complete, the UED was prepared to assault Augustgrad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After destroying the physics labs, it was time to make the final strike toward Augustgrad. Flash was called to the final tactical meeting before the attack begins.

After he arrived, DuGalle spoke to him. "Ah, Captain, we've been expecting you. As you may have guessed, we are coordinating our final attack plans. You should know, that even though Mengsk cannot reinforce his numbers, his standing forces are substantial. Augustgrad is easily the most heavily fortified city in all of Dominion space. And remember that Mengsk is an accomplished tactician so you had best be wary of any counter attacks he may attempt."

"Also, despite the fact that we have crippled his fleet of battlecruisers, we suspect that Mengsk will unload his nuclear silos whenever the opportunity presents itself", Stukov added. "Keep security tight at all of your bases, and watch out for enemy Ghosts."

"That should cover it, Captain", DuGalle said. "Be careful and good luck. By the day's end, the Terran Dominion will be nothing more than a bad memory."

Immediately following the meeting, Flash took command of the base near Augustgrad. Not long after, he received notifications that nuclear launches were detected on the outlying outposts. After discovering they had no science vessels at the base, he ground his teeth in frustration. There was no choice but to abandon the area while the nuclear missiles were being launched.

He had just finished lifting off whatever buildings he could and moving them away when he received a message.

"Reinforcements are in transit", the officer leading the new arrivals said. "They should be arriving right now."

Hearing this, along with the nuclear launch warnings that were blaring, Flash yelled at the officer leading the force. "Don't send your men in! Are you an idiot? Nukes are about to hit the area. Can't you see that we have evacuated."

The reinforcement fleet promptly stopped and turned around. Not long after, mushroom clouds filled the sky as nuclear missiles hit the area they were about to land in.

"Alright, now we can go back", Flash said. "Have our forces guard the base. It is a good thing we didn't send all of them into an imminent nuclear blast. That would have been a terrible idea."

Although they saved some of their buildings, they had lost a majority of the base, including the supply depots. The SCVs quickly began rebuilding. The first priority was getting some missile turrets on the outskirts of the base to spot for ghosts. This wouldn't be a perfect solution but the combination of missile turrets and scanner sweeps would have to do until science vessels were made.

They were attacked several times by the Dominion, but they were able to defeat the attacks with the forces they had available. Finally, some science vessels were acquired. The science vessels would patrol around the base and spot for any incoming ghosts.

Now that the army had science vessels, they were able to being pushing into the city. Their first major obstacle was a bridge which was defended on the other side by bunkers and siege tanks. In order to break open the position, battlecruisers were sent forward to yamato blast the siege tanks. Then, their own siege tanks were able to move in and destroy the bunkers. Ghosts occasionally tried to attack them, but the accompanying science vessels were able to spot them, allowing for the rest of their forces to take care of them.

As they moved deeper into the city, ghosts began coming from all sides. The biggest threat weren't the nuclear missiles, rather it was lockdown. The ghosts were able to lock down critical units such as siege tanks, battlecruisers, and especially science vessels. In one instance, they had managed to lock down all of the science vessels, and the medics had to scramble to restore them before the nukes were dropped.

The narrow quarters of the city made it difficult for large groups of units to pass. They were forced to use siege tanks to break their way through each layer of defense. Fortunately, they were supported by battlecruisers which had obtained total air superiority in the absence of enemy battlecruisers. The attack, spearheaded by the UED battlecruiser fleet, broke through to Mengsk's palace.

As their forces converged on Mengsk's palace, Mengsk fled, taking a dropship to the battlecruiser Norad III, which began to leave. As the UED fleet surrounded the Norad III, they received a transmission.

"This is Emperor Mengsk of the Terran Dominion. I wish to parlay with your Executive Officer at once!"

"So, the elusive Arcturus Mengsk at last", DuGalle replied. "I was hoping to speak with you before we finished our business here. I am Admiral Gerard DuGalle, and I must commend you, Sir, for holding back our advance for as long as you have. You are indeed a worthy opponent."

"My thanks to you, sir. But you must know that your victory here means little to me. It might have taken me awhile, but I did overthrow the Confederacy. I'll overthrow your rule as well:, Mengsk said with a sneer.

DuGalle smiled. "That seems unlikely, sir, seeing as how you'll be publicly executed along with the rest of your ranking officers."

Mengsk's face held a look of shock. "You wouldn't dare!"

DuGalle laughed. "The man who crowns himself 'Emperor' speaks to me of daring? You have far outlived your reputation, citizen Mengsk. Captain, prepare to take the 'Emperor' into custody."

Then, a third party interrupted. "You'll have to postpone those plans, gentlemen." It was Jim Raynor.

The adjutant reported. "Sir, the rebel command ship, Hyperion, has just entered our sensor range. It is accompanied by a small Protoss fleet"

"What?" DuGalle seemed incensed. "Who are these intruders!"

Mengsk appeared to be shocked as well. "Jim Raynor... What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I'm pullin' your ass out of the fire, Arcturus", Raynor said with clear distaste for the situation. "So shut up and sit tight. Make no mistake about it; we've got us a serious score to settle, but right now a mutual acquaintance of ours wants you alive. Prepare you ships for dimensional recall."

As the protoss fleet began warping them away, DuGalle was filled with anger. "This is intolerable! They're escaping right out from under us! Track them! Track them!", he yelled with desperation.

The Terran Dominion had been defeated, but the victory felt incomplete. Mengsk had escaped, no doubt plotting his return. While this day would no doubt be hailed as a great victory, inside the top officers of the UED knew that things had gone poorly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The mood in the UED command room was solemn. Mengsk had managed to escape from their grasp, and he would prove to be a threat to their plans. What was more worrying, the protoss seemed to be supporting him as they helped him escape to an unknown location that they were still tracking.

Finally, the adjutant reported that they had found the location of Mengsk and Raynor. "Captain, we have tracked the fugitives Mengsk and Raynor to the devastated Protoss homeworld of Aiur. Apparently, these two have taken shelter within a fortified Protoss encampment that lies at the base of a fully functional warp gate."

"I don't understand this", DuGalle muttered. "Why would the Protoss harbor these men?"

"I have no idea, Gerard", Stukov replied. "But the Protoss aren't our only problem. Our sensors have identified multiple Zerg broods surrounding the Protoss base. Presently, the broods seem to be passive, but there's no telling what might set them off. Should the broods attack, we'd be hard pressed to hold them at bay."

"I see. It is a risk we'll need to take. Mengsk represents a considerable threat to our agenda and must be eliminated." DuGalle turned to Flash. "Captain, you will focus your attack against the rebel command center in the middle of the Protoss encampment. That must be where Mengsk and Raynor are hiding. We will deploy our own Valkyrie frigates and tighten up our air defenses. Vice Admiral Stukov and Lieutenant Duran will provide cover for your forces, and insure that no external threats interfere with your mission."

"Yes Sir", Flash replied. "Mengsk and Raynor will be captured."

A large strike force was deployed in order to defeat the Protoss and catch Mengsk and Raynor. The landing area was filled with mutalisks, so the Valkyrie frigates were sent in. The missiles of the Valkyries were highly effective against the mutalisks, and the large flock was reduced to nothing. Once the mutalisk were cleared out, the ground forces could move in and a base was quickly set up.

The force sent to secure the area brought some special assets, the nuclear missiles captured after the fall of Korhal. These nukes would serve as a backup for emergencies.

Soon after they had landed, an energy signature from the Protoss encampment was detected.

"Captain, the warp gate at the center of the Protoss encampment has been activated!", Stukov said. "Our sensors show that the gate's energies are inciting the Zerg to attack. Be prepared for anything, Captain."

In order to defend against attacks from the zerg and protoss, several bunkers and missile turrets were constructed. With the aid of the tanks, they should be able to hold off any attacks. Both the zerg and the protoss proved to be irritating, but their attacks were easily handled.

Finally, a large force was amassed consisting of many siege tanks and goliaths, backed up with battlecruisers. The first target was the warp gate, it had to be secured to prevent an escape from Mengsk and Raynor.

The warp gate was heavily guarded, having numerous photon cannons surrounding it. It was also protected by the mightiest of the protoss forces, carriers and archons. The tanks began bombarding the edge of the base, which sparked a massive protoss response. Hordes of zealots, dragoons, and archons charged toward their lines. In addition, the carriers were also bearing down on them.

The goliaths were able to focus their missiles on the carriers, taking them down before they could deal too much damage. The zealots and dragoons died in droves, but the archons were powerful and would not fall very easily. The archons were able to brave the tank fire and assault their forces, blasting apart infantry forces and destroying tanks. It was only the timely intervention of the science vessels with their EMP blasts that stopped the archons.

After the warp gate was secured, the UED forces dug in defensive positions in order to hold the area. Their control of the warp gate was heavily contested, and they faced attacks from both the protoss seeking to reclaim their warp gate as well as the zerg attracted by the warp gate's energies.

Since time was of the essence, Flash ordered a speedy attack on Raynor's command center. The battlecruisers moved in, destroying the minimal opposition in the way and ignoring the protoss structures. With most of the protoss forces distracted by the attack on the warp gate, the battlecruisers were able to punch through the defenses and assault Raynor's command center.

Raynor's situation was untenable and he was forced to flee as his command center fell into ruins.

Stukov called to offer his congratulations. "Good work, Captain. The Command center is destroyed, but it looks like Mengsk and Raynor will try to escape through the warp gate. Make ready to move in and intercept their vessel before…"

A sudden development seemed to give Stukov pause. "Wait, I've just picked up multiple Zerg signals coming in from the northeast. That's Duran's position, but he seems to have moved his forces out of place! Lieutenant Duran, this is Stukov! Come in! I'm tracking a massive Zerg swarm in your quadrant! Respond, damnit!"

"That is strange, Vice Admiral", Duran said. "My scanners don't show any Zerg at all. Maybe you have a technical problem with your equipment?"

Stukov was infuriated. "Lieutenant, if these Zerg get through, we'll never be able to capture Mengsk! I'm giving you a direct order to return to your position and reinforce my troops!"

Duran's signal seemed to become patchy and filled with static."Oh, I'm sorry sir, but it seems your signal's... fading out. I couldn't... make out that last part. I'll try to... reestablish contact later."

"Duran!" Stukov was apoplectic with rage at Duran's treachery. "Captain, your position will be overrun by superior Zerg numbers within fifteen minutes. I suggest you retreat back to the fleet immediately. Inform Admiral DuGalle that I have a personal matter to take care of…"

"Not if I have anything to say about it", Flash responded.

"Agent, are you in position?", Flash asked. He had sent a ghost to the northeast where Duran's forces were positioned.

"Yes sir", the ghost replied. "The area if deserted, no sign of Duran's forces. There is a large army of zerg approaching though."

"Fire the nuclear missile", Flash ordered. "I want those zerg fried!"

"Captain, what is going on?", Stukov asked.

"I am taking care of the zerg, Alexei", Flash replied. "Mengsk must not be allowed to escape."

The UED forces guarding the warp gate were facing increasingly desperate attacks from the protoss forces trying to reclaim the warp gate. Though the protoss attacks caused great damage, the UED defenders were able to hold after gathering all of their might at the warp gate.

Finally, Raynor's dropship came into view as it tried to make a beeline toward the warp gate. Several carriers were also present, hoping to force their way through.

"Goliaths! Shoot down that dropship", Flash ordered. "Ignore the carriers."

The UED forces focused their firepower on Raynor's dropship while enduring the protoss attacks. Very quickly, Raynor's dropship exploded. Mengsk and Raynor were dead.

"All forces, pull back", Flash commanded. "Our mission is complete."

The UED forces, savaged by the attacks from the carriers and archons, quickly retreated and returned to the fleet. The protoss didn't pursue any further after they secured the warp gate, especially since the zerg were now attacking in full force.

As their forces regrouped, Stukov came to speak with Flash. "Good work Captain. I had thought we would be done for after Duran abandoned us. Your ploy was nothing short of genius!"

"Thank you, Vice Admiral", Flash replied. "A good commander must always have contingency measures."

"Of course", Stukov replied. "Now, we have to deal with Duran."

"Yes, he is clearly a traitor", Flash said. "Vice Admiral, you have the authority to order his arrest. Take away his command and send a team to apprehend him."

"Very well. I shall do that now", Stukov replied. "Also, there is something that I wish to talk to you about."

"Oh, what is it", Flash asked.

"Duran has been working against us for a long time", Stukov said. "Remember back on Tarsonis, when Duran advised us to destroy the Psi Disruptor? I suspect he was working for the zerg even then. I remember that during our discussion, you opposed the destruction of the Psi Disruptor as well."

"And you are going to tell me that the Psi Disruptor has not been destroyed after all, aren't you Vice Admiral?", Flash said with a smile.

Stukov was shocked. "How did you know?"

For a moment, Flash thought about claiming that he had knowledge of everything that was going to happen. But that would make him sound crazy. And there wasn't even any need at this point. He was already deeply involved with the decision making and could easily push things in the right direction.

"It seems reasonable", Flash said. "After all, your operatives were responsible for the supposed demolition, and you bringing up the Psi Disruptor now suggests that there was something more to the story."

"Very astute, Captain", Stukov replied. "It seems I underestimated you. Now, I have the Psi Disruptor and I was planning on activating it to give us an edge against the zerg."

"That is a good idea, Stukov", Flash said. "Just make sure you put the Psi Disruptor on Korhal, instead of some backwater like Braxis. We need it to be in a well defended location. It is a critical asset."

"I will keep that in mind, Captain", Stukov said. "Now, the team I sent to apprehend Duran should be there soon. Once we catch him we can have him executed."

Suddenly, a massive blast of energy was seen in the distance. It was in the direction where Duran had returned with his forces.

"What is going on", yelled Stukov. The camp had quickly descended into chaos.

"Sir, there appears to be an unknown creature attacking us", a soldier reported. "It doesn't seem to be a protoss, but it is making extensive use of psionic abilities. It is ripping through our men!"

"DAMN YOU STUKOV!" Duran's voice echoed through the area. "I WAS SO CLOSE TO ACCOMPLISHING MY MASTER'S WILL. AND YOU HAD TO RUIN IT."

"Duran…", Stukov muttered. "How can this be? What has he turned into."

Meanwhile, Flash spoke into his communicator. "Were the packages placed as I instructed?"

"Yes Sir", the ghost replied. "Several nuclear bombs were buried at the location where Duran arrived."

"Very good. Detonate them", Flash ordered.

Suddenly, several mushroom clouds filled the sky as the area next to the base exploded. Duran's form was vaporized by the explosion, along with scores of men that were around him.

"What!", Stukov was in shock. "Was this your doing, Captain."

"Duran needed extraordinary measures to put down", Flash replied. "The loss was unavoidable."

Stukov continued to look at Flash with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Come now", Flash said. "We have to go report back to DuGalle. There is a lot of explaining we have to do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Flash and Stukov had just returned to the fleet when Admiral DuGalle summoned them to report on the operation.

Upon entering DuGalle's officer, they saw that DuGalle was deadly serious and was clearly irked about something.

"I want answers!", demanded DuGalle. "What the hell happened out there?"

For a few moments, everyone was silent. Then, Stukov began speaking. "Gerard, during our mission we encountered… complications. It seems that Duran was a traitor working for the zerg. He abandoned his position and allowed the zerg to attack our forces that were trying to capture Mengsk and Raynor. Fortunately, due to the Captain's quick thinking, he was able to hold back the zerg. Mengsk and Raynor had almost escaped through the warp gate, but our forces managed to kill them."

"It would have been preferable to capture Mengsk alive so that we could publicly execute him, but I suppose it is good enough that he didn't escape", DuGalle said. Then, his tone turned cold. "Now, I would like to know WHY WE NUKED OUR OWN FORCES!?"

Flash and Stukov looked at each other awkwardly. They weren't sure how to explain this. Finally, Stukov cleared his throat and began answering. "Well… Gerard, you see… it seems that Duran was not all that he seemed to be." Stukov appeared to be greatly uncomfortable. "It appeared that Duran was some kind of an alien creature capable of vast feats of power. He managed to kill the men we sent to apprehend him and there was no choice other than to nuke him."

DuGalle stood in silence as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Alexei… were you drinking vodka during the mission?"

"No, Gerard", replied Stukov quickly. "I was completely sober. Duran transformed into a monster before our very eyes."

"You are telling me... Duran was not a human and was instead a shapeshifting alien that we had no knowledge of. And he managed to single handedly defeat our forces", DuGalle said slowly. "You expect me to believe this fantasy?"

"Uh, we have video evidence of this, Sir", Flash said. He pulled up the recordings of their battle with Duran.

DuGalle watched through the video silently. Even after he finished it, he stood in shock. Finally, he spoke. "It seems that the evidence is introvertible, despite what common sense would seem to dictate."

DuGalle sat down in his chair and let out a sigh. "What are we going to do now, gentlemen."

"Well, you may recall that back when we found the Psi Disruptor, Duran had advocated quite strongly for its destruction", Stukov said. "I suspect that since Duran was working for the zerg, he had wanted the Psi Disruptor's destruction in order to remove a threat to his master."

"Perhaps you were right, Alexei", DuGalle said. "But there is nothing we can do now, the Disruptor has already been destroyed."

"Gerad, I have something to tell you", Stukov said. "You see, the Psi Disruptor was not destroyed. I had arranged for my men to dismantle it and study it. We will be able to reassemble it for our use."

"You disobeyed my orders, Alexei", DuGalle said in shock. "I can't believe it! How could you do this."

"It was necessary", Stukov said. "We needed the Disruptor to defeat the zerg. And now we can see that saving the Disruptor was the right idea after all."

"Very well then. I will excuse you this time because we are old friends. But don't do this again", said DuGalle sternly.

"I shall have the Psi Disruptor set up on Korhal", Stukov said. "Then we can take the fight to the zerg."

* * *

The long prepared for invasion of Char was about to begin. When the fleet arrived in orbit over Char, they found the resistance to surprisingly weak.

The Adjutant reported the reason for this. "Captain, with the Psi Disruptor's signal hampering the Zergs' communications to one another, the Swarms over Char have scattered in disarray, allowing the fleet to penetrate to the planet's surface. However, there is still a considerable number of defenders nestled around the fledgling Overmind."

"You were right, Alexei", DuGalle said. "The Disruptor is the key to victory here. If I had destroyed the machine as Duran suggested we would never have made it this far... Nevertheless, the time is upon us, Captain, to do what we came here for. We will claim the Overmind in the name of Humanity!"

The fleet approached the Overmind and began scanning the surrounding area as they began landing. "Be advised, Captain: our sensors have identified three cerebrates who constitute the core of the Overmind's defenses. Each cerebrate's distinct capabilities are still unknown, so proceed with extreme caution."

"Launch your forces and let not a Zerg survive!", DuGalle ordered. "Once you have reached the Overmind and crushed its defenders, you are to send in specially trained medics who will pacify the creature with potent Neurostim drugs. Only then will our victory be assured. Be careful and good luck. I am sure that this will be our finest hour."

When their forces landed, they quickly began setting up a base. Some of the patrol teams at the outskirts reported being attacked by sunken colonies.

"Sir, these sunken colonies aren't being affected by anything we hit 'em with. I'll bet there's one of those Cerebrate critters pumpin' 'em full of energy nearby", the marine reported.

The sunken colonies surrounded most of the base, so for the time being they were unable to push outwards. Meanwhile, they had to set up defenses to deal with the constant attacks launched by the zerg. A few tanks and bunkers were able to take care of most of the attacking zerg, but a sudden roar caught everyone off guard.

A massive ultralisk was charging toward the base, a Torrasque. The Torrasque was powerful and managed to tear through multiple bunkers and some tanks, but in the end it was brought down by vast amounts of firepower. Unfortunately, it seems that they would not be freed from this threat. A recon team reported that the Torrasque was being reincarnated by a cerebrate.

Once their forces were properly dug in, it was time to strike. A fleet of battlecruisers and valkyrie frigates were sent to the north to strike at the cerebrate. The cerebrate was mostly guarded by sunken colonies, so the battlecruisers were able to avoid the bulk of the defenses. There were a few flocks of mutalisks, but the valkyries and battlecruisers were able to defeat them.

Finally, the fleet came upon the cerebrate and began attacking. After a period of bombardment, the cerebrate was destroyed. Since the overmind was still young, it would take a long time for it to reincarnate the cerebrate, so for the time being they would not have to deal with the cerebrate. Furthermore, with the cerebrate dead, the sunken colonies lost their immunity and the forces controlled by the cerebrate went dormant.

Next, the fleet struck to the east. The cerebrate there was responsible for the Torrasque, so destroying the cerebrate would help remove this frustrating thorn in their side.

As before, the battlecruisers were able to sweep away the spore colonies and the valkyries were able to repel the scourge attacks. It only took a short while before the fleet reached the cerebrate. Then, the battlecruisers charged up their yamato guns and blasted the cerebrate. With the cerebrate destroyed, there was no more need to worry about the Torrasque.

There was just one final obstacle in the way, the third cerebrate which controlled the defenses surrounding the overmind. When the fleet approached, they were quickly beset upon by flocks of mutalisks and devourers as well as swarms of hydralisks. The valkyries were able to make quick work of the mutalisks and devourers while the battlecruisers managed to defeat the hydralisks, though not without losses.

Finally, the fleet broke through to the third cerebrate and destroyed it. With the death of the third cerebrate, the last of the broods defending the overmind went dormant and the path to the overmind lay bare. It became trivial for the UED forces to secure the area and the medics were soon dispatched to the overmind.

"Captain, the medics are in place and are administering the Neurostim treatments to the Overmind", a ghost reported.

Not long after they seized control of the Overmind, a second zerg force appeared. The UED command was surprised, as they thought that they now controlled all the zerg because they had the overmind.

A monstrous figure emerged from an overlord. The individual appeared to be female and seemed to be a mix of terran and zerg, but she was unlike any infested terran they had seen before. A pair of sharp bladed wings emerged from her back and she emanated an aura of power. "Admiral DuGalle. I've heard a lot about you", she said.

"Who the... _What_ the hell are you?", DuGalle asked.

"I am Kerrigan. The Zerg you've killed here and the Overmind that you've come to collect... are mine. You see, Admiral... there are a number of groups in this sector who feel your involvement here causes certain complications. My associates and I intend to make sure that your reign is short lived."

"You may find that difficult, you abomination", DuGalle spat, "seeing as how I possess the means to disrupt your control of the Zerg."

"Ah, you're referring to your vaunted Psi Disrupter." Kerrigan smiled. "It won't last you forever, Admiral. Sooner or later, I'll destroy it. Then I'll show you what the Zerg are really capable of."

Kerrigan returned to her overlord and began to leave. DuGalle ordered their forces to pursue, but the zerg escort accompanying Kerrigan engaged the UED fleet, delaying them and allowing Kerrigan's departure.

* * *

"We have won a glorious victory today", said Admiral DuGalle. "And we have you to thank for it, Captain."

"Yes, your tactical skills were what allowed to get this far", Stukov added. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I only seek to do my duty for humanity", Flash said.

"Yes, of course", DuGalle said. "Humanity owes you a great debt. Our control of this sector is virtually assured. With the overmind and the Psi Disruptor in our hands, there is no one who could stop us."

"Just remember to be careful, Admiral", Flash replied. "If we were to lose the Psi Disruptor or the overmind, it would be disastrous for us."

"Indeed", DuGalle said. "That is why we must be quick in crushing our opposition. Show this abomination Kerrigan the true might of the UED."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sarah Kerrigan was frustrated. The UED had proven to be more crafty than she expected, and her plans had been thrown into chaos. The UED's control over the overmind would deny her the swarm that was rightfully hers. Furthermore, her efforts to bring Mengsk and Raynor into an alliance with her had failed, as the UED had managed to kill both of them. She had been stopped at every turn, and the situation was only becoming worse.

Her greatest headache was, quite literally, the Psi Disruptor. The UED's acquisition of the device had been the greatest blow to her plans. With the use of the Psi Disruptor, the UED could interfere with her control over her swarm. Now, the UED had begun focusing the Psi Disruptor's signal on Tarsonis and she could feel the psionic emanations of the Psi Disruptor clash against her own will.

It was becoming more and more difficult to maintain control over her swarm. She groaned as her mind's concentration and focus was stretched to its limits trying to keep her zerg in line. She had endured this struggle for days, but finally it had become too much for her. As her concentration slipped, she felt the psionic link between her and a portion of her swarm snap.

The now feral zerg were beginning to rampage across the surface of Tarsonis, attacking indiscriminately. Though the disruption was only limited to a few of the hive clusters, there was a large risk that these zerg might end up destroying those hives. She couldn't afford to lose those hive clusters.

Kerrigan summoned some of the few loyal zerg she had left that could intervene. While most of the swarm had not gone feral, they lay in a state of dormancy as any more complex commands would take too much effort. Thus, she focused her will on just the zerg in her immediate vicinity, spurring them to action. Fortunately, these were the elite of the swarm, consisting of advanced strains such as hunter killers.

As Kerrigan approached the first hive cluster, she saw that it was being attacked by a small band of zerglings. She ordered her hunter killers to fire at the zerglings from a distance, while she went in personally to deal with the remainder up close. Fortunately, the number of zerglings was small enough for her to handle, and they were able to save the hive.

Unfortunately, the hive wasn't responding to her commands, and trying to force her will onto it would be too difficult, and could led to her losing control over some of her forces as she was distracted. So, there wouldn't be any way to mobilize the hives to bolster their forces. Fortunately, there were a few dormant zerg near the hive that were amenable to her control, and she was able to take them to reinforce her group.

The next hive cluster they came upon was being attacked by several hydralisks. Her hunter killers proved to be far superior to the ordinary hydralisks and in the exchange of attacks, the hunter killers quickly took the upper hand, wiping out the feral hydralisks.

So far, everything was going smoothly. Although killing her own zerg was regrettable, it was a necessity to prevent greater damage from occurring. It was also good that they had suffered very few losses during this time.

As Kerrigan and her forces were moving across a bridge, they were ambushed by a large pack of zerglings which had been burrowed underneath them. The sudden attack caught them by surprise and one of her hydralisks was killed before it could even react. In such close quarters, the main advantage of the hydralisks over the zerglings was nullified and it soon became a brutal melee as the two forces clashed. Kerrigan was in the thick of the fighting, killing as many of the feral zerg as she could and fending off attacks from the feral zerglings, though she had been caught by the claws of the zerglings several times as they had come from all sides.

The slightly battered force moved forward, where they saved another hive, gaining some scourge in the process. The scourge would soon be needed as a hive to the southwest was being attacked by guardians. Once the guardians were destroyed, Kerrigan and her forces were able to move into the hive cluster unopposed.

However, they had only just moved in when the hive cluster was attacked from all sides. The forces attacking them were substantial, and they were forced to defend on multiple fronts. The defenders were put under substantial pressure, but Kerrigan rallied her forces to charge forward and break the attack of the feral zerg. Kerrigan herself fought off many of the feral zerg herself, her claws and wings tearing through scores of zerglings and hydralisks.

Though their forces were beaten and battered, there was no time to rest as they had little time to save the remaining hive clusters. The hive cluster they approached was being savaged by a pack of ultralisks. This fight would be quite difficult, as the ultralisks were one of the most powerful units in the zerg arsenal. Fortunately, the base defenses were able to aid them in this instance, helping to hold the attention of the ultralisks for a little while.

Kerrigan leapt in, engaging two ultralisks by herself while the rest of her forces fought off the remainder of the ultralisks. The ultralisks were tough, even for her, but she was strong enough to take a hit from the ultralisks and her agility allowed her to dodge most of their attacks. Her wings tore into the sides of the ultralisks and repeated attacks allowed her to wear them down. The rest of her forces had also finished taking down the remaining ultralisks, with swarms of zerglings surrounding an ultralisk while the hydralisks provided additional support. Under the weight of numbers, the feral ultralisks fell.

Kerrigan quickly had her forces advance after they had defeated the ultralisks. The hive up ahead held nydus canals which were necessary to reach the final hive which was under attack by a huge force. The nydus canals were under siege by a flock of mutalisks, so the first thing that had to be done was clearing away the mutalisks. The hunter killers proved to be more than adequate for the job, speedily eliminating the mutalisks and allowing their forces to move through the nydus canals.

Kerrigan arrived at a hive under siege with the largest group of feral zerg yet. There were ultralisks, hydralisks, and swarms of zerglings attacking. Kerrigan had one of her defilers create a dark swarm over the attacking hydralisks. Then, she moved in and began tearing through the hydralisks under the dark swarm which were unable to deal with the swift enemy ripping them apart with their vision obscured by the dark swarm.

Meanwhile, her forces engaged the ultralisks, battering them down with sheer volume of attacks. Finally, the enemy attack slackened and the feral zerg were driven off. Though their forces had taken moderate losses, they were successful at protecting the hive clusters from destruction, preventing a bad situation from turning worse.

As the swarm calmed down, Kerrigan was once more able to focus and bring the zerg back under her control, though it was still difficult with the Psi Disruptor's interference. She would need to find a way to deal with it, soon. However, it seems that she would soon have other problems. A large UED fleet had arrived over Tarsonis. Kerrigan cursed in annoyance. She had hoped that the UED would have taken longer to track her down, but it seems that they were really out to get her.

* * *

 **Author's note: One thing I found strange in the Brood War Zerg campaign was that you never actually got to control Kerrigan in any of the missions.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The UED fleet arrived over Tarsonic, intent on wiping the planet clean of the zerg infestation. Since the UED's control over the overmind was still new, they were not yet able to make use of the overmind's broods to supplement their forces. However, the Psi Disruptor was the critical factor here, weakening Kerrigan's control over her zerg. The Psi Disruptor would prove far more effective than a slave brood, whose deployment would necessitate the Psi Disruptor's signal be directed elsewhere, as to not interfere with their control over the zerg.

The UED fleet was quite substantial, and Flash was aboard the command ship, ready to deal a knockout blow to Kerrigan. The UED forces began landing all around Tarsonis, with the largest group setting up their base near Kerrigan's fortress.

When the invasion began, Kerrigan marshalled her nearby forces to prepare to repel the assault. Despite Kerrigan still maintaining control over the Swarm, the Psi Disruptor was hampering her in other ways, beside the increased strain on her mind. With the communications between the zerg hampered, it was far more difficult to control faraway zerg. While Kerrigan was still able to control the zerg close to her effectively, it was much harder to manage her broods on the other side of the planet, and their reaction speed would be hampered.

This handicap was precisely what the UED was taking advantage of. Under Flash's management, the terran armies launched multiple hit and run raids against the hive clusters, picking away at the zerg forces. Kerrigan was forced to deal attacks on multiple fronts, and with the disruption caused by the Psi Disruptor, the zerg forces were unable to react in a timely manner toward the UED's harassment.

Sometimes, the zerg armies would arrive to a nearby hive cluster to destroy the terran forces assaulting it, only to find out the attackers have already left and now the other hive cluster which was undefended was now being attacked. Or, the reinforcements would be too late and would arrive to an already destroyed hive cluster. The zerg forces were being stretched thin in every direction and they were losing every engagement against the UED forces which were better led and organized.

As more and more hive clusters fell to the UED's assault, Kerrigan's frustration had reached its limit and she couldn't take it anymore. Taking her forces that had been guarding her fortress, Kerrigan led her army on the attack. She hoped to defeat the UED army besieging her primary hive cluster before leading her forces to defeat the rest of the attackers.

Not long after they went on the offensive, Kerrigan and her army came upon a small patrol group. The zerg pounced on the patrol group, with Kerrigan leading the attack personally as she vented her anger and frustration on the men in front of her. With an entire zerg army present, the patrol group didn't stand a chance and within minutes they were torn apart. Though their position was now exposed, Kerrigan led her army forward, intent on wiping out the UED attackers in a pitched battle.

Not long afterwards, a group of vultures struck at the side of Kerrigan's army, their grenades tearing through the zerg ranks. An enraged Kerrigan ordered her zerglings to pursue and surround the vulture group to tear them to shreds. Kerrigan watched in delight as the zerglings began catching up to the vultures. However, her hopes were soon dashed when numerous explosions occurred. The zerglings had ran into a field of spider mines which the vultures had prepared and the mines had devastated the zergling force. Then, the vultures turned around and wiped out the remnants of the zergings sent to pursue them.

Kerrigan seethed at the destruction of her forces, resolving not to fall into a trap again. There were a few more attempts at raiding the approaching zerg army, but careful control kept the zerg forces from taking significant damage. Scouting overlords made sure that the way ahead was clear of mines.

Finally, they arrived in front of a large UED encampment. The base was well guarded, fortified with bunkers, siege tanks, and missile turrets. However, the zerg army was vast, possessing many times the numbers. Kerrigan had her defilers cover the area with dark swarms, before sending in the ultralisks to assault the base.

The dark swarm obscured the vision of the area, and the UED forces were unable to accurately target the ultralisks. Though the tanks still managed to deal some damage because of the size of the explosions, the ultralisks were tough enough to survive the barrage. Once the ultralisks finally approached the bunkers, various spider mines activated. Several ultralisks which were in the front died from the multiple mine explosions, but there were yet more ultralisks behind them.

The ultralisk assault broke into the base, tearing down the bunkers and destroying the siege tanks. Once the base was opened up, the zerglings were sent in. The fast moving creatures tore through the scattered defenders inside the base. Kerrigan also entered once the defence was shattered, slaughtering any of the UED soldiers that came across her path.

Kerrigan smiled as she walked through the burning base, the screams of the defenders clearly audible as they died. She saw a small group of infantry ahead huddled together. As she came into view, the UED soldiers turned to face her, though they were quite terrified. The marines began shooting at her but she quickly dashed around, avoiding most of the bullets. A few struck glancing blows, but the shots were deflected off of her body's carapace.

The Queen of Blades dropped in from above, having climbed up a nearby structure. As she landed, her wings speared through a marine, tearing him in half. The rest of the marines turned around to face her, but she quickly moved onto her next target. A swipe from her claw tore apart the marine's face and then Kerrigan dashed forward, her wings tearing straight through a firebat.

The firebat's fuel tank exploded, bathing Kerrigan in flames. She walked out of the inferno, unperturbed while the remaining marines looked on in terror, as though they have seen a devil. After Kerrigan slaughtered the remaining resistance, the final marine turned and ran, but he was quickly dispatched by a wing to the back of his head. The medic, useless this entire fight as all of the marines had died instantly, sank to her knees in despair seeing the rest of her squad die. Then, Kerrigan finished her off by cutting her head off.

At this moment a goliath turned the corner, coming over to investigate the commotion. Upon seeing the gruesome scene in front of him, the pilot gasped in shock before turning his weapons toward Kerrigan. However, the Queen of Blades had already dashed toward the goliath, slipping right under it where the goliath's weapons couldn't reach. She tore a hole into the bottom of the goliath before climbing in. The pilot spun around in his seat, losing control of his bowels once he saw the frightening being in the cockpit with him. His eyes went back and forth trying to find an escape, but there was none. Then, his thoughts were quickly cut short when his head was severed from his neck.

As Kerrigan climbed out of the goliath, she examined the scene in front of her. The last of the defenders were being finished off, and the base was in flames. Kerrigan smirked in delight. Her thoughts were filled with her hopes of finally ripping apart these upstarts with her bare hands as she sent their invasion force packing. Once the remainder of the base's defenders were killed, she collected her zerg and set off once more, eager to kill off the rest of the UED attackers.

Up ahead was a long valley, and on the other end of it was the first place the UED had landed and set up a base. They had sent the bulk of their forces to besiege Kerrigan's fortress, and by shattering this force, she would be able to retake control of the planet. The terran commander had chosen a good location, Kerrigan thought to herself. It was a defensible location and there were many opportunities to place traps in the valley.

However, Kerrigan would not be so easily fooled by such tricks. She sent overlords to scout out the entrance of the valley. Only once they had made sure that there were no dangers did she finally lead her forces in.

As her forces went further into the valley, Kerrigan was vigilant in watching out for traps. Though she knew the situation was urgent as hive clusters were continuing to fall all around Tarsonis, she also knew that caution was of the utmost importance.

As they approached the end of the valley, the first signs of resistance were spotted. Tanks were positioned on the cliffs overlooking the exit to the valley and the ground below as filled with spider mines. Attempts to diffuse the mines with individual zerglings was ineffective as the tanks would kill the zerglings.

Kerrigan decided to finally make use of her air forces, sending in flocks of mutalisks and guardians to assail the tank positions. However, it seems that the UED commander had expected this, as the moment the mutalisks began moving, a fleet of valkyrie frigates flew in to intercept the mutalisks. In addition, science vessels soon followed, protecting the siege tanks with a defensive matrix. Then, the science vessels began irradiating the mutalisk flock, quickly decimating their numbers.

Kerrigan quickly pulled her forces back. After taking heavy losses, she knew that there would be no way to break through the defence. So, she gathered her forces and began the retreat. However, as the army reached the other end of the valley, they discovered that it was now fortified by UED forces that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

The cliffs were now filled with tanks, even more than the other side of the valley had. In addition to many spider mines, the entrance was also guarded by an army of ground forces. It seems that they were now trapped in the valley.

The zerg forces charged forward, desperate to break through and escape. The tanks began firing, decimating the zerg charge. The ultralisks made it through the tank fire but died to the spider mines. Dark swarm helped, but with the sheer volume of siege tank fire, there was simply too much damage being dealt. Even the few zerg units that had managed to get through the minefield were killed by the army waiting on the other side.

The valley was filled with a thick haze, the dark swarm obscuring all sight of what was going on underneath. The the tanks continued to fire, raining death on the passing zerg forces. However, unnoticed by the UED forces was a figure climbing up the side of the valley. The valkyries were on patrol for any flying units, so they didn't expect an attack on the tanks that were on the cliff.

Finally, Kerrigan revealed herself, leaping into the tank formation. At first, no one knew what was going on. The tanks continued to fire into the valley, not yet having noticed the threat in their midst. Then, tanks began exploding as Kerrigan ripped through them, tearing them apart with her wings and claws.

The tank regiment fell into total chaos as everyone looked around to find the attacker. Kerrigan was practically a blur as she danced among the tanks, killing them one by one. The tanks began to fire at Kerrigan, but the bulk of their attacks missed, dealing more damage to the other tanks than they did to Kerrigan. Though Kerrigan was hit by shrapnel from some tank shots which hit close by, her carapace was able to block the bulk of the damage. Even the injuries she sustained when being hit by a tank round directly regenerated without much issue.

With the tanks taken out of the fight, the zerg forces were able to charge forward without fear. The UED forces guarding the valley were taken by surprise by the zerg advance, and they soon began taking many casualties.

Flash looked upon the battlefield in annoyance. He hadn't expected Kerrigan to intervene at the end. With the situation deteriorating, he ordered his forces to withdraw. Still, the operation was a major success. Though some of the zerg forces had escaped, they had sustained massive casualties, and the zerg army was only a fraction of the size it once was. Meanwhile, operations on the rest of the planet were continuing to be successful.

Kerrigan was utterly infuriated. Her armies were shattered and there was no longer any hope of holding Tarsonis. Damn the UED and that Psi Disruptor! Kerrigan was pushed into a corner, and she knew it, though that fact greatly irritated her. There was only one thing that can be done. Kerrigan gathered up all of the zerg that were at her disposal, abandoning all of the hive clusters on the planet as the swarm gathered in her fortress.

Looking out over the approaching UED forces, Kerrigan made one final statement. "You may have won here, but I'll be back. And next time, there won't be a Psi Disruptor to save you. When I return, you best run for your lives, as once I catch you, you will all suffer a fate worse than death."

Finally, Kerrigan boarded an overlord along with as many of her forces as she could carry. The fleet lifted off, traveling away from Tarsonis. The forces that remained on the ground would hold back the UED for as long as they could.

As Kerrigan began leaving, the UED fleet moved to intercept. Swarms of mutalisks were thrown at the UED fleet, buying Kerrigan time. The Swarm fled, the rearguard sacrificing themselves for their queen. With a bitter feeling in her heart, Kerrigan departed Tarsonis.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

On a remote planet, several individuals met, discussing their plans for the future. They were somewhat unlikely allies, but the necessity created by the UED invasion had forced them together.

Kerrigan was the first to speak. "Now, I know most of you aren't happy to see me, and we have had our differences in the past, but the reality of our current situation makes the need for cooperation self evident. The UED has conquered the Terran Dominion and they have also enslaved the young overmind. With those two forces combined, they will dominate the sector, as their use of the Psi Disruptor has crippled my forces."

"You seem rather irritated. It seems that the terrans have dealt you a serious blow", Zeratul noted.

Kerrigan gnashed her teeth. "Yes, they have pushed my out of Tarsonis and my armies have taken serious losses."

"What do you propose we do, Kerrigan?", Artanis asked.

"The first step is to take the Psi Disruptor out of the equation. We will need both of our forces combined if we are to defeat the UED", Kerrigan said.

"And I suppose you have a plan for that, and you need our help?", Artanis said.

"The Psi Disruptor is located on Korhal, and it is among the most guarded locations in the sector. Vice Admiral Stukov is personally managing the defenses", Kerrigan explained. "There is no way that a conventional assault can succeed without my Swarm. However, I won't be able to utilize my forces unless the Psi Disruptor is disabled. Therein lies the problem. However, a frontal attack isn't the only method available to us. That is where you come in, Zeratul."

"You and your dark templar are masters of infiltration. I want you to help me to sabotage the Psi Disruptor." Kerrigan began explaining our plan. "We will get onto Korhal under the guise of a terran vessel. The minds of ordinary terrans are easily fooled by someone of our caliber. Then, we can sneak in and destroy critical components of the Psi Disruptor."

"What shall we do after we disable the Psi Disruptor?", Fenix asked.

"We will have to kill the overmind", Kerrigan answered. "The overmind is a threat to all of us and absolutely must be killed."

"You simply wish to control the entirety of the zerg", Zeratul retorted.

"I will not deny that it will be of benefit to me", Kerrigan said. "But it is in your interest as well. The UED have come to control the sector, once they defeat me, you will be next."

"The UED are indeed dangerous foes", Fenix acknowledged. "They are resourceful and are led by a skilled commander. On Aiur they managed to thwart our escape. If they keep their control over the overmind then we cannot defeat them in a conventional battle."

"Much as I remain apprehensive, I see your point Kerrigan", Zeratul said reluctantly. "I shall have to return to Shakurus and consult with the matriarch before making the decision."

"Very well", Kerrigan said. "Our meeting here is done then."

After Zeratul returned the Shakurus, he obtained authorization from Raszagal to gather several skilled dark templar to go on the mission. A few days later, the operation was to begin.

* * *

Kerrigan, Zeratul, and several trusted dark templar were gathered in Augustgrad to strike at the Psi Disruptor. The Psi Disruptor was in the area of the city filled with military installations. It was at the core of the UED defenses on Korhal, well defended from an enemy attack. Mighty walls, scores of bunkers and siege tanks surrounded the compound. Even the mightiest army would find it almost impossible to break into this place. But a strike from the shadows was a different matter.

Their method of entry was through a delivery truck which was bringing supplies to the compound. Upon arriving at the gate, a guard came to inspect the contents of the truck. The guard entered the truck and saw some boxes of food, as was to be expected. As he went further in, he discovered that most of the truck was empty. The confused guard was about to trigger an alarm, before he froze. Then, he turned around and said that there was nothing to report. The guard, who was a normal human, had no resistance to Kerrigan's mind control.

Once the truck made its way into the compound, the infiltrators activated their cloaking before sneaking out of the truck. They were quiet as they walked through the hallways, avoiding contact with people who were passing by. Unnoticed, they began moving closer to their objective.

However, they soon paused as they saw that up ahead there was a sensor network, capable of detecting cloaked individuals. Trying to pass through would likely trigger an alert. This wasn't too much of an obstacle for them. Kerrigan manipulated the insides of the device psionically, causing what seemed to be a simple circuit short. This wouldn't seem overly suspicious until a detailed investigation was made, and by then they would be long gone.

Finally, they came upon the first objective, the central security room. From here, the rest of the compound was monitored and the entire security system was controlled from this location. The security room was well guarded, having a set of blast doors guarded by sizable division of marines and bunkers in front of it. There were also wall mounted turrets that contained a high tech sensors.

It was time to take action. With a swift leap, Kerrigan landed among the surprised marines while Zeratul and the dark templar moved through the shadows and appeared next to the defenders before they could even blink. The swings of blades decapitated several of the marines, jerking the rest of the defenders into action. The marines turned to face the attackers while the wall mounted turrets pivoted to begin firing.

Zeratul moved swiftly through the ranks of the marines, his blade slicing them apart. His shield held against the attacks for the time being. Kerrigan nimbly dodged the shots from the wall mounted guns, before retaliating with a psionic blast which blew one turret to pieces. Then, she dashed in, seeking to tear the turrets from the walls. As she got closer, there was less time to dodge the bullets, allowing the shots from the turrets to hit Kerrigan, but the damage was merely an annoyance to the Queen of Blades, who soon took her revenge on the turrets by tearing them apart with her wings.

A sudden shot tore into Kerrigan's shoulder, and she turned around to face the assailant, a ghost. He was cloaked, but that wasn't of much use against Kerrigan, who was easily able to sense the psionic signature of the ghost. Kerrigan dashed forward, intent on ripping the ghost to pieces. The ghost quickly reloaded another round, firing it at the approaching queen. The psionically propelled sniper round slammed into Kerrigan's midsection, breaking through the carapace and embedding itself in her body.

Kerrigan hissed in annoyance but now that she had reached the ghost he would not have another chance to fire. Her arm grabbed the ghost's rifle, tearing it from his grip as her knee slammed into his chest, breaking several ribs. The ghost drew his knife, but a quick swipe from Kerrigan's claw tore his hand off, and the knife dropped to the ground. Finally, Kerrigan's wings impaled themselves through the ghost's body, killing him instantly.

Very soon, the men standing out in the open had all been slaughtered, and the only remaining resistance came from the bunkers, within which huddled several frightened marines. Zeratul's blade cut a hole through the door hinges of the bunker. The door fell to the side, and Zeratul entered, killing the occupants of the bunker. The other bunkers were soon destroyed as well, eliminating the last of the defenders.

Now, all that was left was the doors. The doors were made out of thick reinforced neosteel, and it was locked tight. There was a time for subtlety, and there was a time for force, and now was a time for force. Kerrigan unleashed a focused blast of psionic energy at the door, cutting a hole through it. Then, they entered through the opening.

The security room was filled with a bunch of panicked guards. None of them put up any effective resistance as Kerrigan and the dark templar slaughtered them.

Kerrigan sat down in front of the computer, with a room full of warm corpses around her. She quickly began accessing the security system, disabling the alarms and automated defenses. The camera network was set to loop yesterday's footage and the secured doors were unlocked.

"The Psi Disruptor was first built by the Confederacy", Kerrigan told Zeratul. "This facility is still running on their security architecture. I am familiar with Confederate security, this shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

Kerrigan was true to her word. Once the facility's defenses were taken offline, she explained the next task to Zeratul. "There are three important components to the Psi Disruptor. If we destroy them, then the Psi Disruptor will be unable to function. Firstly, there is the power generator, I will take care of that. Next, there is the broadcast array, Zeratul you will go destroy it. Lastly, there is the signal calibration system. The rest of the dark templar will destroy it."

"Very well", Zeratul said. "We must move swiftly. Soon the Terrans will discover our attack."

* * *

Zeratul had arrived at the chamber for the Psi Disruptor's broadcast array. The journey through the hallways had been trivial after the detection sensors had been disabled. He clicked the button next to the door, and it quickly sprang open. The men behind the door were surprised by the sudden opening, as they would usually be notified before the door opened. They looked out, and saw no one there.

"What the hell?" The marine appeared quite confused. "Why did th-"

His statement was quickly cut off as his head fell from his shoulders. The rest of the guards gaped in shock before fumbling for their weapons. But as they looked around, they didn't see anyone. Yet, one by one they were dying.

"Attack!", one marine screamed, before he was cut off by a blade through his throat.

The panicked marines scattered while other guards began streaming into the room. Men were falling to the ground, one by one.

"What is going on? Who is attacking us?" The guards were in a state of total chaos. Some of them began randomly shooting, hoping to hit the invisible enemy by luck. Their shots mostly ended up in their own allies, and those that did strike Zeratul were blocked by his shield.

"I think I saw it right there!", a marine shouted. "I saw a shimmer!"

Everyone began shooting in that direction, but by the time they did, Zeratul was long gone. And while they were shooting, yet more of them died. It didn't take long before the rest of the guards were killed.

Explosives had been prepared for this mission, and now Zeratul took several out and affixed them to the massive piece of equipment in the center of the room. With his mission complete, Zeratul left the room. Not long after, the bombs detonated.

* * *

A scientist was at his computer, monitoring the output of the signal calibration system. He heard the door open behind him. He spoke as he began turning around. "Hey Casper, thanks for bringing me the-"

He paused, recognizing that the intruders was not his assistant. His eyes widened in shock, but before he could let out a cry, the blade of a dark templar severed his head from his shoulders.

* * *

A marine was standing guard outside the main reactor core along with several of his comrades. He began speaking to one of his friends. "Hey Billy, it sure is quiet around here. We've had to stand here for weeks, and nothing ever happens."

"Yeah, I dunno why we even need to be here", Billy said. "It's not like anyone is going to attack us here. They would have to get through all of the defenses outside. I don't see the point of all this tight security. The Vice Admiral sure is strict. Who is even going to attack us-"

To everyone's shock, Billy's head fell to the ground, his neck gushing blood. The surrounding marines froze, hardly believing what they just saw. Then, a figure appeared next to them, the air shimmering as the cloaking deactivated.

Kerrigan smirked. "I overheard your little conversation. You little Terrans are so amusing."

The marines screamed. "What is that thing? Shoot it!"

A hail of bullets soared through the air toward Kerrigan but halfway through their flight, they froze. Then, the bullets shot back in the other direction, killing the marines that shot them.

Leaving the dead marines behind, Kerrigan stepped into the main reactor room. The gunshots outside had alerted the people inside and now they were in complete pandemonium. Scientists ran in every direction, trying to get away. Meanwhile, several other marines approached, backed up by a goliath.

The goliath aimed its guns toward Kerrigan, but before it could begin firing, the pilot found the machine escape from his control as Kerrigan grasped it telekinetically. The goliath toppled over, crushing the marines in front of it.

The final marine looked down at the wreckage mere inches from him in shock. Then, he turned to face Kerrigan. Raising his gun, he began firing, only to find his gun jam.

"Now now, we couldn't have you do that", Kerrigan said, mockingly. She strode up to the terrified marine.

The marine turned to run, but before he could even get a few steps, he discovered Kerrigan's wings sticking out of his chest, having pierced through his back and out the front.

With the remainder of the guards dead, Kerrigan planted the explosives.

The reactor exploded in flames, and the facility plunged into darkness, having lost its power. In the darkness, Kerrigan, Zeratul, and the dark templar escaped, having accomplished their mission.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Captain, I am afraid I have some bad news", Stukov said. "The Psi Disruptor was damaged in an attack, and many of the critical components was destroyed. It is no longer functional. Fortunately, when the Psi Disruptor was disassembled and reassembled, we took detailed notes. So, we will be able to repair it given enough time. However, it will likely take several weeks for us to manufacture the specific parts and install them."

"That is unfortunate. While the Psi Disruptor is down, Kerrigan while be able to strike at us with her zerg", Flash noted glumly. "How did this happen? Wasn't the Psi Disruptor supposed to be well guarded?"

"It seems that the protoss were a part of this attack", Stukov said. "They infiltrated Korhal and attacked the Psi Disruptor. It seems that they had detailed knowledge of our security systems as they managed to hack them and render our defenses inoperable. I suspect that Kerrigan was responsible, as the records we captured from the previous government indicates that she was once a ghost working for the Confederacy."

"That is concerning", Flash said. "The protoss and Kerrigan are working together. With this recent attack, it seems that they will be striking at us soon."

"Indeed", Stukov replied. "This time period where the Psi Disruptor is offline will be critical. Do you think they mean to strike at Korhal?"

Flash thought for a moment. "I know where they are going. I am taking the fleet to Char. They are striking at the Overmind. Stukov, you stay here with a portion of our forces just in case they do decide to strike at Korhal. You have enough men to hold on until we can reinforce. Although it isn't likely, we should be prepared."

* * *

Flash's fleet arrived over Char. His forces began to reinforce the defenses around the overmind, in anticipation of the coming battle. Though his time was limited, he managed to set up ample preparations. It wasn't long before two fleets warped in over Char.

There was a massive fleet of zerg coming in toward Char. This was Kerrigan's force. Among the zerg fleet was a contingent of protoss ships. Since a dark templar was needed to kill the overmind, it was clear that the protoss would be a part of the fight.

The UED fleet and the overmind's zerg were in position over Char to defend the planet. The two fleets clashed and a brutal fight ensued. The massive flocks of zerg clashed against each other; the fight was in total chaos. Though the UED forces were strong, a portion of the attackers managed to break through and land on the surface.

The protoss and Kerrigan set up bases on the surface of Char as their forces disembarked. It was a sizable force, enough to be very threatening. Flash immediately sent his forces to strike at the invaders, hoping to throw them off the planet before they could entrench themselves. The first target struck was the protoss, as their presence would be necessary to kill the overmind.

A swarm of zerg struck at the protoss from the south while a UED force attacked from the north. The zerg attacking force immediately hit an obstacle as the protoss defense was airtight. Fenix was on the front lines of the battle and he and his warriors fought valiantly against the zerg without giving a single inch.

On the other side, the UED attack force had a bit more success. They had broken through the outlying photon cannons and were preparing to assault the main protoss base. However, at this moment Kerrigan's zerg arrived to attack the UED's army. The attack force was forced to retreat lest they be trapped between two armies.

Once the initial assault was thwarted, Kerrigan and the Protoss were able to secure their landing area and gather their forces. It wasn't long before they moved to attack. Protoss and Zerg marched alongside each other, a strange sight. Equally strange was the Terran and Zerg force arrayed against them.

Valkyries and vultures were sent to harass the attacking army by air and by ground. Spider mine traps were quite useful and they were able to whittle down the attacking army down through the course of multiple detonations. Valkyrie frigates were exceptional at destroying flocks of mutalisks, but against the heavier protoss fleet it was less effective.

Though the harassment was annoying, Kerrigan and the protoss were soon able to find countermeasures. An arbiter had managed to trap a fleet of valkyrie frigates in stasis. The zerg moved to surround the valkyries, and it seemed likely that the fleet would be lost once they came out of stasis.

Only a desperate trick saved them. A nuclear missile was launched toward the valkyries, forcing the zerg around them to scatter. The missile detonated, not affecting the valkyries kept in stasis. Then, the valkyries came out of stasis and were able to flee before the zerg came back. After that incident, the Kerrigan and the protoss made extensive patrols of their surroundings to prevent a ghost from sneaking up.

The attacking army finally reached the outlying defenses, where they were met by rows of sunken colonies backed up by siege tanks. Under the cover of dark swarm, the ultralisks and zealots charged through, braving the tank fire to advance. With backup from Kerrigan's guardians which were bombarding the defensive line, they were finally able to break through.

Still, the first line of defenses had accomplished its job at picking away at the attacking force. The UED defenders quickly began withdrawing to the main defensive line. Although some of Kerrigan's zerg broke off to try to pursue, nuclear missiles were employed to cover the retreat as the zerg would not be able to follow without getting caught up in a blast.

Meanwhile, the UED launched raids on the bases of Kerrigan and the protoss. Dropships were employed to drop marines and a flock of the overmind's mutalisks were also sent to do some harassment. As a result, Kerrigan and the protoss were forced to split off a portion of their forces to guard their bases. Despite this, the size of their army was still considerable and they continued to advance toward the overmind.

The area they were passing through was filled with spider mines. In order to get through the minefield, observers were used to spot them to allow the dragoons to destroy the mines from a distance. However, this effort was frustrated by constant raids from UED forces which retreated into the minefield which recognized friendly units.

Finally, Kerrigan and the protoss came upon the plateau where the overmind was situated. It was well guarded by extensive defenses, but the attacking army was strong as well. It would be the fight to determine the fate of the sector.

The first to charge forward were the ultralisks. Both Kerrigan's ultralisks and the overmind's ultralisks were in the fight. As the ultralisks were locked with each other in combat, zealots swarmed the overmind's ultralisks and began cutting away at their legs. The combination proved to be deadly effective as the stalling of the ultralisks gave the zealots free reign. However, they were not the only ones experimenting with combination tactics. The UED had decided to strap marines atop ultralisks so that the ultralisks could charge in and allow the marines to shoot from above toward the smaller enemies below the ultralisk. Such a prospect was quite risky, so the marines chosen were among the most fearless of the resocialized marines.

As the ground forces clashed against each other, the fleets were already engaged in combat. The arbiters were the largest threat, as they could take parts of the fleet out of action with a stasis field, so Flash ordered the battlecruisers to strike at the arbiters with yamato guns as soon as they came into range. Once the arbiters were destroyed, the full fleet moved in to engage.

The valkyrie frigates were extremely effective against Kerrigan's mutalisks and the protoss scouts. Meanwhile, the battlecruisers focused their attacks on the carriers and Kerrigan's guardians and several supporting science vessels used their defensive matrix on the battlecruisers. Some of the overmind's scourge were employed to help destroy some of the carriers. Slowly, the UED was able to gain the advantage in the skies.

Meanwhile, the battle on the ground was in full swing. The tanks proved to be effective, but so did the protoss reavers. Psionic storms blanketed the battlefield, inflicting substantial losses on the UED defenders.. Meanwhile, guardians on both sides were bombarding the battlefield. The battle lines were mostly stagnant, as the defenses were able to hold back the repeated assaults, although barely. It was becoming difficult for the defenders to cling on, but as the fleet gained the upper hand, they were able to provide fire support for the defenders.

Then, a massive force of zerg struck the west side of the defenses. Under the cover of dark swarm, a group of ultralisks struck the bunkers, though they were once again met with an opposing ground of ultralisks. However, a massive blast of psionic energy blew a hole through a portion of the line, ripping apart bunkers and ultralisks. Kerrigan had taken to the front lines, and she had charged up a powerful attack that allowed her zerg to gain the upper hand.

Zerglings flooded through the gap and tore into the tank lines. With the tanks destroyed, the zerg began flooding in with increased speed. Bunkers were surrounded and torn apart. Meanwhile, Kerrigan began ripping through a squadron of goliaths, tearing them apart savagely. The defenses began to crack open as zerg flooded through.

However, the possibility of a breakthrough was anticipated, so Flash had kept some forces as a strategic reserve. These forces now moved in to try to plug the gap. But with Kerrigan supporting her forces in that area, it would be quite the difficult task.

Flash instructed the fleet to begin focusing their fire on the area of the breakthrough. Battlecruisers began pelting the area with laser fire, burning through zerg forces. The science vessels utilized irradiate to clear away large clusters of zerg. The attackers were being whittled down, but they still continued to fight as they clashed against the relief force.

Though a renewed offensive from the protoss and Kerrigan's fleet forced the UED fleet's attention back toward the skies, a few of the battlecruisers were able to break off and fire their yamato guns toward the ground. The yamato gun shots were able to kill some of the ultralisks to give the UED's ground forces some more breathing room. Furthermore, Kerrigan was sent sprawling after being hit. The attack had did a number on her, leaving her with serious wounds. As a renewed UED offensive targeted Kerrigan, she decided it would be best for her to retreat.

After Kerrigan retreated from the battlefield, the UED was able to stabilize their battle lines. The protoss and Kerrigan's zerg fought on for a little while longer, but eventually they retreated.

The now vastly diminished attack force was holed up in their base, apparently preparing for evacuation. Now on the offensive, the UED and the overmind's zerg surrounded the enemy bases and began to launch attacks. However, the protoss and Kerrigan's zerg held and the battle was beginning to drag on.

Flash realized that something wasn't right. It was as if the enemy were doing a delaying tactic. He had his forces stop their attacks and he dispatched all of his science vessels to scout the area around the overmind.

During the earlier battle, when the defensive line had been temporarily broken, Zeratul had managed to sneak through. Now, he was on his way to the overmind, hoping to kill the creature. Currently, he was in a narrow valley leading toward the overmind's position, and it wouldn't be long before he was there.

Suddenly, he saw a science vessel fly overhead. It had spotted him. The science vessel unleashed an EMP shockwave which shorted disabled Zeratul's cloaking equipment. At this moment, Zeratul knew that he had been found.

He quickly began to run away, hoping to escape before the UED's forces caught up. As he passed through a narrow gap to exit the valley, he noticed some movement. Upon looking around, he saw a spider mine before a sudden explosion lit up the area. Zeratul was dead.

After Zeratul's death, the protoss went into a full retreat. They began loading up into shuttles, preparing to leave Char. However, at this moment a massive offensive came from the UED and the overmind's zerg. And this time, Kerrigan wouldn't be relieving the protoss as she was busy fleeing as well.

The UED's tanks pummeled the protoss base while ultralisks ran rampant. The protoss defense was broken and they were simply trying to evacuate as many as possible. A rearguard stayed behind to protect the retreat. Among them was Fenix, dedicated to protecting his comrades in his final moments. Though he fought valiantly, killing countless zerg and terrans, eventually he was felled by yamato blasts coming from the UED battlecruisers.

The tattered fleet of the protoss fled from Char along with the remainder of Kerrigan's zerg. The UED had emerged victorious, and with this victory their control over the overmind was solidified. It was a victory which would set the destiny of the sector.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

After her defeat on Char, Kerrigan took her Swarm on the move,traveling from planet to planet as the UED pursued her. The UED were determined and focused their full efforts toward chasing down Kerrigan. She would barely be able to stay in a particular system for a few days before the UED forces attacked. Since she didn't have enough forces to defeat the main UED fleet in a direct confrontation, she would be forced to withdraw. Kerrigan fought a series of confrontations as the UED chased her down over and over again, and other the course of these battles her Swarm was whittled down constantly. Kerrigan's Swarm, a shadow of what it once was, was now occupying a small uninhabited fringe world, trying to get a bit of time to rest and rebuild.

For the past week, things had been silent and Kerrigan hoped that she had managed to finally shake the UED pursuit. However, it seems that the UED had merely been biding their time. A large fleet appeared over the planet. Accompanying the UED fleet was a massive fleet of zerg. Kerrigan had picked this location because the Psi Disruptor's wasn't being directed toward this area, but it seems that this had allowed the UED to narrow down the search area.

In addition, the UED was able to make use of their slave broods since their control over the zerg would not be interfered with by the Psi Disruptor. The UED had decided that having more forces was more important than reducing the effectiveness of Kerrigan's army, as the UED wanted to make sure they had enough forces in orbit to stop Kerrigan from escaping. The planet was locked down with a tight blockade, with the overmind's zerg blanketing most of the skies along with the UED ships.

The trap was shut, and now it was time to deal the final blow. Kerrigan and nearly all of her forces were on this planet and as long as the UED was able to prevent an escape, they could finally kill the last leader of the zerg outside of their control.

The UED landed on the surface of the planet with their ground forces, along with their slave broods. Most of the fleet remained in orbit to prevent any escape from the planet. The army sent by the UED was massive, as they had truly put in the totality of their effort into this attack. The main advantage of the zerg was numbers, but now Kerrigan's zerg were the ones outnumbered.

The massive army began sweeping across the surface of the planet. Siege tanks drove alongside ultralisks. Along with those heavy fighters were the supporting infantry, goliaths, and hydralisks. Upon reaching the outlying hive clusters, the siege tanks took up their positions and began shelling the hives.

Kerrigan's forces retaliated, sending a massive swarm of zerg to dislodge the tanks. Dark swarm obscured the battlefield while ultralisks and zerglings ran under the cover of the fog. While this would usually be devastatingly effective, as terran forces could not fight effectively in melee, the assault was blunted when the UED made use of their own ultralisks which clashed against Kerrigan's ultralisks. The ultralisk charge was stalled, unable to threaten the tanks. Any zerglings that managed to slip past were quickly incinerated by the firebats that were defending the siege tanks.

With the ground attack proving to be of limited effectiveness, Kerrigan sent in her air forces. Swarms of mutalisks and guardians moved to confront the UED's army. With the UED's fleet in space, Kerrigan was able to achieve air superiority in the limited area of the battlefield.

Despite not having any air forces, the UED's anti air capabilities were substantial. The goliaths carried powerful ground to air missiles which were used to devastate the attacking zerg. The marines were useful as well, shooting down the mutalisks that dived in close to attack. Meanwhile, the overmind's hydralisks added their power to the fight as well. Kerrigan's zerg, lacking any real capital ships, were suppressed by the ground anti air defenders and took heavy losses while failing to dislodge the tanks.

The tanks continued to fire upon the outlying hive clusters, and soon the zerg structures collapsed, devastated by the attack. As Kerrigan's zerg retreated, the UED moved in to mop up the remaining resistance. Now, they were ready to assail Kerrigan's primary hive cluster on the planet. This is where the remainder of Kerrigan's armies gathered.

As the UED began approaching the central hive, a large army of zerg moved to intercept them. The tanks quickly entered siege mode and the rest of the army entered a defensive formation, ready to repel the assault.

Kerrigan was leading the army of zerg personally, desperate to hold back the UED assault. She unleashed a powerful psionic storm which tore apart a group of siege tanks, and the rest of her army moved into the weakened area. Ultralisks clashed against each other and the marines had to deal with swarm of zerglings rushing at them.

Kerrigan focused her attention on the overmind's ultralisks, using her wings to stab deep into the ultralisk's body and ripping out its guts. The ultralisks were occupied with each other, so Kerrigan was able to attack with near impunity, occasionally sidestepping an attack from an enemy ultralisk. After killing several ultralisks, enough of her own ultralisks were freed up to allow them to launch an assault on the UED's lines.

Several defilers launched their plague toward the UED's army, sending sections of it into panic. Then, Kerrigan led the ultralisks in a charge toward the main body of the UED's force. The ultralisks braved the fire of the marines and goliaths as bullets peppered the tough carapace of the ultralisks.

The ultralisks crashed into the lines of marines, crushing those in the front. Zerglings and hydralisks moved in from behind, attacking as well, engaging in a fierce fight with the UED's army. Kerrigan began rampaging through the battlefield, slicing apart scores of marines with her myriad blades or crushing goliaths in her grip. She unleashed her psionic power to rip apart large groups of enemies, shattering pockets of resistance.

Then, reinforcements for the UED arrived. Several battlecruisers were detached from the blockade in order to lend their aid to the battle. As long as Kerrigan was engaged in battle, then the UED didn't have to worry about her escaping the planet, so they could afford the loosen the blockade.

The battlecruisers added their considerable firepower to the battle, helping to suppress the attacking zerg forces. When a battlecruiser shot its yamato gun toward Kerrigan, she was forced to quickly duck beneath a ultralisk. The ultralisk was killed by the shot, but Kerrigan escaped the effects of the impact. Around the battlefield, the other ultralisks were being felled by yamato blasts as well.

Killing the attacking ultralisks relieved a great deal of pressure, and the UED army fought with renewed vigor against Kerrigan and her zerg. The combined fire from the marines and goliaths tore through the hydralisks and zerglings, while the siege tanks were devastating in their own right. In addition, the overmind's zerg also began moving in to provide support.

Kerrigan tore apart her enemies at a rapid rate, but even she was only able to affect a small portion of the battlefield. More of her zerg were being killed, and the terrans were able to focus their attacks on her. Kerrigan was moving from one goliath to another, ripping through the fragile legs, sending the mechs crashing to the ground. She danced through the hail of bullets as she moved, but there was simply too many shots to dodge as the air was practically filled with metal.

Earlier in the battle, she had deflected incoming attacks away from herself psionically, but the constant attacks had worn her down. The effort to protect herself had exhausted her energy, and she was no longer able to maintain her psionic shield. Her carapace was able to take a great deal of punishment, but it was now filled with cracks and holes. By now, Kerrigan was forced to fight in melee, using her claws and wings to end her enemies. This also meant she couldn't hide behind any of her zerg, especially since her most of her ultralisks were dead. The tank shots were able to crack through her carapace and riddle her body with shrapnel. Though she was able to endure the pain and regenerate from her injuries, the attacks came without pause. She could feel her injuries taking longer to regenerate as her body's energy was exhausted. Still, she continued to fight, taking down scores of enemies while enduring the attacks.

The UED had held the initial assault and as they regrouped, they began pushing back Kerrigan's zerg. With the overmind's zerg supplementing their numbers, the flanks of the UED army were able to advance forward and begin putting pressure on Kerrigan's forces. Kerrigan, seeing that her forces were being enveloped, and considering the state of her own injuries, decided to retreat, recognizing that the situation was no longer favorable.

Kerrigan's zerg turned around and began to withdraw, fighting against the overmind's zerg that were sent to stop their retreat. As her zerg retreated, they were first met with zerglings, whose speed allowed them to intercept Kerrigan's forces first. The zerglings weren't too much of a threat, Kerrigan's zerglings and hydralisks were easily able to clear them out. However, they were able to delay for enough time to allow the rest of the UED's zerg to arrive.

The lumbering ultralisks of the UED were a formidable obstacle blocking their path, and the only choice for Kerrigan was to have her own ultralisks engage them, sacrificing them as a distraction to allow the rest of her forces to pass. Kerrigan and the remainder of her army passed by the ultralisks, and now only had to break through the assembled hydralisks. Kerrigan's hydralisks began to exchange fire with the overmind's hydralisks, and her zerglings charged in to claw their way through.

Kerrigan also entered the fray, slicing apart any hydralisks she could get her claws on. She cut through the ranks of the hydralisks with ferocity, allowing her zerg to begin flooding through the gap. Still, this tactic left her surrounded by the enemy hydralisks, allowing them to shoot at her from all directions. Although she tried to dodge, the hydralisks were numerous and the spines filled every inch of the air. The sharp hydralisk spines impaled Kerrigan's body from all directions, cutting through her weakened carapace and burying themselves in her flesh. She didn't have to endure this for long though as her forces were able to sweep in and relieve the pressure on her, but by the end she resembled a hedgehog with all of the spines sticking out of her, her regeneration working overtime to push the spines out of her body.

After breaking through the lines of hydralisks, the way ahead was clear. Kerrigan and the battered remnants of her army retreated, allowing Kerrigan to return to her hive to recuperate and recover her strength.

Meanwhile, the UED army regrouped and reorganized after their successful defense. They received some more reinforcements and then they began moving forward once more. Kerrigan had left burrowed zerg to spring ambushes, so the UED had to proceed carefully, making sure to scout out an area before moving through.

Finally, the UED reached the central hive cluster on the planet. Kerrigan and the remainder of her forces were here, and they would have to make their final stand. As the UED began assaulting the sunken colonies around the hive cluster, Kerrigan's zerg flooded out for a final assault.

By now, Kerrigan had lost her ultralisks, so she was forced to lead the breakthrough herself while the rest of her forces followed. The tanks and marines began battering at her, but she unleashed several psionic storms, forcing the UED army to scatter. The disruption to their lines was enough to allow her to make it to the UED lines as her zerg rushed in behind her. However, their path was blocked by ultralisks, the ones controlled by the UED.

Kerrigan began fighting several ultralisks as the rest of her forces became engaged in combat. She dodged the massive blades of the ultralisks as she began picking away at them. However, dealing with multiple ultralisks was difficult without any support, as she no longer had any ultralisks left. Furthermore, zerglings were swarming around, proving to be a nuisance as they leapt onto Kerrigan and gnawed at her legs and arms. Even though they did minimal damage and were dispatched easily, they were somewhat distracting. As Kerrigan finally finished off one ultralisk, burying her wings deep within it, another ultralisk took the opportunity to slash her across the back, ripping open a gash in her body. Though Kerrigan quickly turned around to attack her assailant, blasting it apart with a massive burst of psionic energy, a zergling took this opportunity to slash Kerrigan across the face, leaving a deep gash running down the middle. Kerrigan growled in anger and crushed the zergling in her grip but then another ultralisk caught her with its blade, slashing open her side.

Suddenly, a sniper round smashed through her shoulder and Kerrigan realized that there was a cloaked ghost riding one of the ultralisks. She jumped up onto the ultralisk to kill the attacking ghost. The ghost managed to get one more shot off, smashing a hole into Kerrigan's gut, but the Queen of Blades retaliated by ripping the ghost's body in half. Then, she killed the ultralisk beneath her.

Kerrigan stepped off the ultralisk's corpse and faced the UED soldiers in front of her. The marines were weak but annoying as their bullets were numerous, wearing her down through many small injuries. A firebat blasted his flamethrower, enveloping Kerrigan in burning hot flames. The plasma fuel flowed through the cracks in Kerrigan's beaten carapace and stuck to the inside of her wounds as it burned into her body.

Kerrigan screamed in pain as the fire burned her insides. She slashed the firebat in half, its fuel tank exploding and covering the area with more fire. The marines and goliaths continued to shoot at her, their bullets breaking more cracks into her carapace which allowed the flame to enter and begin searing her exposed flesh, the cauterization of the wound hindering its regeneration. Kerrigan stepped out of the flame and dashed into the group of marines, tearing through them as she vented her rage while the burning flames still smouldered in her wounds.

She killed the group of marines, but several more groups had arrived. In addition, battlecruisers now hovered overhead, bombarding Kerrigan with their laser blasts. She retreated from the area as the battlecruisers began tearing into her body. The remainder of the mutalisks swooped in to distract the battlecruisers and Kerrigan returned to her hive to heal her wounds.

After Kerrigan's retreat, the battle didn't last very long. The few zerg she had left were killed by the UED and the sunken colonies within the hive cluster were destroyed. The UED army surrounded the hive completely, moving in slowly and methodically as they tightened the encirclement. Science vessels scanned the ground around the hive constantly, preventing any escape from below the surface. The UED fleet had converged on this spot, clearing any remaining zerg fliers out of the airspace.

Kerrigan stood within her hive as the UED siege tanks began bombarding it. The walls of the hive shook with each impact, and the structure itself groaned in pain. She was the only one left, all of her zerg had been sent out in the attack. The hive continued to shake as explosions rocked its surface. Finally, it could take no more. With a dying wail, the massive fleshy structure collapsed inward onto itself.

Kerrigan crawled out of the blackened, twisted corpse of the hive. Recognizing that this was the end, she decided to take down as many of her attackers as possible. Psionic storms ripped apart entire groups of marines, but streams of bullets continue to fly toward her from every direction. The siege tank shells impacted her psionic shield, each impact draining more of her energy.

The attack was relentless. Even as Kerrigan killed the advancing soldiers, more came and continued the attack. Her mind was entirely focused, her desperation reinforcing her will and fueling her power. Still, this wasn't enough. With the impact of the next volley of the siege tanks shells, Kerrigan felt her psionic shield give way as she lacked the energy to maintain it. The shrapnel from the hit peppered itself against her body. Too exhausted to defend herself or even attack psionically, Kerrigan ran forward to finish the fight in melee.

Then, the battlecruisers approached, the fronts of the ships glowing as they charged up their yamato guns. Kerrigan felt a blast strike her, knocking her into the ground and breaking apart her carapace. The next shot burned into her body, tearing apart her flesh. Kerrigan screamed as more and more shots struck her. The salvo of yamato blasts pummeled the Queen of Blades, driving her into the rapidly forming crater.

Finally, the smoke cleared, revealing the blacked corpse of the once mighty zerg queen, now charred to a crisp by the mighty firepower of the United Earth Directorate. Humanity had triumphed and this great victory would bring the Directorate closer to the completion of its mission.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Welcome, Captain", Admiral DuGalle said as the meeting began. "I am glad to hear of your victory over the Queen of Blades. With the threat of the zerg neutralized, we can now focus our attention on the rest of the sector. The Directorate has sent us here to reunify humanity by bringing our wayward colonies under our control. The Dominion had fallen quickly to our assault, giving us control over the bulk of the terran worlds."

"While you were away, we opened communications with the Umojan Protectorate and the Kel-Morian Combine", DuGalle said. "Both were made to submit to the Directorate. Faced with our overwhelming might, they had no choice but to surrender."

"That is good", Flash replied. "But there is always a danger that they might revolt, and we may be subverted from within."

"Rest assured Captain, we have taken that into consideration", DuGalle said. "The Kel-Morians are easily placated. Their leaders are solely concerned with profit. It was simple enough for us to offer the leadership enough benefits to draw them to our side. The Umojans are a much more prickly problem. They would most likely be planning to escape our control. However, our grip over them is absolute and we have them under constant surveillance. Every precaution has been taken to keep Umoja in line."

"So now that we have taken control over the rest of the terran worlds, what is our next objective?", Flash asked.

"We must destroy all threats to humanity", DuGalle said. "As such, the Protoss must be destroyed. We cannot allow an alien race that threaten humanity to exist. Therefore, you shall lead an attack on Shakuras, and wipe out the Protoss."

* * *

A massive swarm of zerg warped in over Shakuras, followed by a sizable UED fleet. The zerg immediately began engaging the protoss fleet over Shakuras and a contingent of zerg were ordered to land on the surface of Shakuras to set up a foothold.

Flash continued to wait aboard his battlecruiser in orbit. Then, he finally received the information he was waiting for.

"Captain, we have detected a large energy buildup occurring on Shakuras. The source appears to be a temple on the planet's surface", the adjutant reported.

"Detach half of the zerg fleet", Flash ordered. "Send them toward the temple, and have our ships follow behind them."

The massive swarm of zerg began descending onto Shakuras, heading straight for the Xel'naga temple on the surface. The protoss fleet put up heavy opposition as they tried their hardest to stop the zerg attack, but the protoss fleet was depleted, with most of their ships being lost over Aiur and Char. Slowly but surely the zerg fleet began pushing their way through the atmosphere. As zerg began landing on the ground, the protoss defenders engaged them, preventing the zerg from approaching the temple.

It seemed that the entirety of the protoss forces were concentrated in this location. The protoss were making every effort to protect the temple until it could activate. However, the zerg numbers were immense. Little by little, they whittled away at the protoss numbers and began overrunning the outer defenses. The protoss did everything they can to stop them. Archons and reavers were able to hold the line against countless swarms of zerg, and the arbiters were able to imprison flocks of zerg in stasis. Despite all of this, the zerg finally managed to make it to the outer edges of the temple.

When it was about to seem as though all was lost for the protoss, they were finally able to activate the temple using the Uraj and Khalis crystals. A massive wave of energy flowed outward from the temple, wiping every zerg off of the surface of Shakuras.

With the invasion halted, the protoss defenders began cheering, as they once more had repelled the zerg from their world. However, the celebration suddenly fell silent as a shadow fell over the temple.

The UED fleet, which had used the zerg to clear a path to the temple, had now arrived. With most of the defenses of the temple shattered, the fleet had gotten into position before the protoss could reposition their forces. Then, the command was given. The UED fleet began bombarding the temple from above, killing the protoss inside and reducing the massive structure to rubble.

Artanis watched in horror as he saw the temple fall to pieces around him. He had been so happy just moments before, but now it seems that their previous defense was for naught. Then, a massive yamato blast struck his position, and Artanis was killed. He was just one of many deaths as the temple collapsed, taking with it many of the protoss defenders.

The protoss defenses were in shambles, but the UED fleet didn't pursue. Instead, they retreated back into orbit, while the remainder of the zerg began descending onto the planet's surface unimpeded. There was no need to spend human lives on this, it was much better to let the zerg do all of the dirty work.

The zerg swarm began landing on Shakuras, and they quickly started rampaging across the planet. The remaining protoss civilians fled as the zerg overran all of the outlying settlements. The remnants of the protoss military forces collected in Talematros, the capital city of Shakuras.

The Khalai and the Nerazim, once enemies, were now firmly united as they faced the incoming horde grimly. Recognizing that their end was at hand, they decided to give the fight their all and die fighting. As the zerg began scaling the plateau, the protoss readied their blades. Whenever a zerg appeared, the protoss attacked, killing any zerg they could get their hands on.

However, the numbers of the zerg were virtually endless and soon the outer defenses of the city were overrun. The battle moved into streets of the city as every last warrior fought to their last breath. The streets of the city were filled with corpses, mostly zerg though there were dead protoss as well. The towering spires collapsed one by one as the zerg tore through the foundations.

The protoss on Shakuras had their last stand, but they couldn't change the ultimate outcome. The onslaught of the zerg proved to be too much, and the last defenders fell and with them the last protoss on Shakuras.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

After the destruction of Shakuras, the UED spent the rest of their time wiping out the remaining protoss. Using the zerg, they scoured the sector, destroying protoss outposts and colonies. They also came upon the remaining protoss factions such as the Tal'darim. They were destroyed as well. With the protoss dead, there was only one remaining alien race - the zerg.

The UED knew that their control over the overmind wasn't going to last forever. As the overmind matured, it might begin to resist their control. As such, once the protoss were destroyed the zerg became a liability. The UED used the overmind to take control of all of the remaining zerg in the sector, including the feral broods. If there were any zerg that couldn't be subjugated, they were wiped out.

Finally, the zerg swarm was all gathered in one place. The hive clusters on all other planets had been razed, and the entire swarm was brought to Char. All of the zerg in the galaxy had been gathered and it was now time for the final purge.

The zerg destroyed all of their structures on Char and loaded up into their overlords. Then, they were all sent into the star at the center of the Char system. The zerg were incinerated, the endless numbers consumed by the heat of a star.

All that was left was the overmind and its cerebrates, which were all gathered in one place. Then, the UED fleet began bombarding the overmind, using its most powerful nuclear weapons to completely incinerate the area. The entire area was completely slagged and after days of intense bombardment, no trace was left of the overmind and the cerebrates. With nowhere to go and no biomass to reincarnate with, the overmind and its cerebrates died, and with their demise the zerg swarm was no more.

Amon was trapped in the Void, having no servants left in the mortal world. Duran had been killed, sent back to the Void. Both the zerg and the protoss were wiped out, the hybrid project stopped before it could even get started. The horrible fate facing the galaxy was averted.

Humanity took its place as the dominant species in the galaxy. With all outside threats destroyed, the terran worlds were able to develop in peace, not having to fight a war against the alien species that would seek to exterminate them. It was the golden age of humanity, and it was all thanks to one man.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And we are done with this story. In the beginning, I unfortunately had to stick to the original timeline, and I was quite frustrated with that as well. But finally I was able to cut loose and taken the story off the rails. Writing became much more enjoyable after that. Well, now we have finally reached the end. I hope you all enjoyed the story.**


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